Thanksgiving is such an underrated holiday.

It’s a few days off right before finals, you get to spend it with family and friends, the weather is (hopefully) cooling off. It’s comforting! It’s a much needed time out from normal life right before the end of the year. It allows for reflection, good thoughts, and delicious food.

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is how unique it is for every family, with many traditions to go around. Some people take trips, others have skit competitions. My family spends the day together and kicks off our feast with my Grandma’s famous mini-meatball soup that we only get this one day a year.

It makes me sad that this holiday is so often dwarfed by Christmas, because it is so important. I would even argue that Thanksgiving sets the stage for the Christmas season in that it begins the feelings of joy and excitement. Let’s be real, the happy and caring personas that we as a culture adopt from the months of November to December are not the norm for most people, as much as I wish they were.

Thanksgiving is what starts the trend of soft and thankful thoughts. Kids are making their hands into turkeys and are writing what they’re thankful for in school. Teenagers and college kids are having friends-giving with each other before going home for break. Adults are getting breaks from work and are able to relax and reflect on their lives and remember the things that they are thankful for.

Everyone’s hard exterior begins to melt as the air grows chillier. Smiles come easier, sweaters become fuzzier. People just feel better. So why do people rush forward towards the tail end of this season of cheer? The farther ahead we look, the quicker the season will come to an end. This year, let’s try to focus on just enjoying ourselves.

Let’s turn up Michael Bublé, let’s take that second (or fourth) helping of mashed potatoes. For once, let’s all slow down and really be in the moment with each other. That is my challenge to everyone this Thanksgiving. Take the time to slow down, to sit, to be content in the moment. Turn off your brain and stop thinking about the future and the stress of Christmas shopping and of the coming new year.

For just one day, what if we all did what we were supposed to do on this holiday, and simply took the day to enjoy time with our loved ones, and just be thankful for wherever we are at? I think it would set the tone for the rest of the holiday season and that it would make it that much more enjoyable.

For just one day, make your only worry your plan to either ask or dodge questions about various family member’s dating lives. Take the time to listen to how your family members are doing in life. And just be thankful. It’s been a tough few years, and I think that this change of pace and mindset could do everyone some good. So slow down, and send some thanks up to those around you.