The holidays are a busy time, and with Thanksgiving right around the corner we are just entering the holiday season. Besides school, a great deal of my time has been spent trying to find a ride home for Thanksgiving. Now that I don’t live in the same place as my parents I am really starting to see just how stressful this time of year is. I am thoroughly convinced that having a large family just makes it that much more stressful. One particular thing, Thanksgiving dinner, can be extremely stressful for many reasons.
I never really understood why my older sister hated questions like “how is college going” and “what are you planning on doing after you graduate?” After my first semester of college, I am starting to see why these questions are annoying. You can plan all you want, but as soon as you get to college you are even more clueless than when you started. My plan is probably the same as most people's: answer them and then try to steer the conversation in a different direction. I don’t need anyone telling me what classes I should be taking next semester or what I should be doing with my free time.
Staying out of the kitchen is another thing I plan on doing. My dad is the one who cooks Thanksgiving dinner and he always does a fantastic job. From my experience, when I am just hanging around in the kitchen I am usually in the way. I also find this one of the easiest ways to stress a person out even more. If someone is cooking a nice dinner for a large group of people, they do not need you in their way.
Do not spend the entire day on your phone. Nothing drives my parents crazy more than my siblings and I being on our phones at the dinner table. Texting your friend can wait until after dinner. It is an hour that you can give your friends and family your undivided attention. Chances are whoever you are texting probably is eating dinner too.
Take a minute for yourself. I know this may be hard to do, especially if you have relatives around. There is nothing wrong with letting yourself get your thoughts together and take a few deep breaths. Nobody will think it is weird. In fact, chances are they are doing the same thing from time to time. Everyone needs a few minutes to keep themselves together from time to time.
The holidays are a crazy and stressful time. This is just the start of it all. Take time to breathe and relax. Enjoy the holidays with your family and friends. After college, it is only going to get harder and harder to get everyone together.
