There are a quite a few indications that the holiday season is at our doorstep.
For one, the movie Elf has been playing as the feature movie on some television channels for the last three weeks. ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas is a programmed clock for you to be counting down until the week your family and friends come home. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is the talk of the town (sorry boys, it's already over). All of your friends who celebrate Hanukkah talk to you about how they're preparing for a full eight days. Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" plays over and over while you're at an ugly Christmas sweater party. We've all made some sort of (hopefully less expensive) plans for New Year's Eve.
The biggest sign that the holidays have arrived, at least for students, is that our brains have shut down, exhausted by all of the semester's hard work.
When you have endless conversations about the holidays, one main topic discussed is what you want, specifically presents, preparing for New Years, et cetera. "Oh, I'm asking for a new Kate Spade bag and maybe an iPad…"
The list somehow becomes more hyped up annually. It's that anticipation to focus on yourself, that the holidays are all about what I would like, whom I want to hang out with over break, why I deserve this break, et cetera.
True, we can now be more at ease that the semester is coming to a close, but let's not forget about the values our parents, mentors and friends have taught us.
The holidays mean visitors and presents and meaningful rituals. They mean time to be spent together, sharing stories, experiences and each other.
We spend a lot of the season thinking about ourselves, and we forget what it's really about, sometimes by default and other times because we have put our own priorities at number one.
It is the season of giving, so let's give all we can.
Let's not forget to be thankful for those who cannot come home for their holiday rituals, troops stationed overseas who sacrifice their lives and give their time when they can easily be at home with their loved ones.
Let's not forget to give donations or pray for those less fortunate in these economic times.
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Let's not forget to be compassionate and empathetic to those who celebrate differently than you do, these are just subtle differences in our culture, but ultimately we all strive to make the holidays meaningful to us.
Let's make a point to make it about the gift of giving, forgiveness, hope and joy this season.
Even a yellow tights-wearing Will Ferrell said, "The best way to spread (holiday) cheer is singing loud for all to hear."
I interpret this to be a metaphor for the importance of coming together, to bring happiness and good fortune to all, but especially to those who really need it.
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