W ith late November comes Thanksgiving break. Ideally, we’ll be bundled up by fires, spending time with great people and pretending that the pie we contributed wasn’t purchased at Harris Teeter. The break is a time for family, a time for sleeping and a time for pretending that gravy is its own food group and one necessary for a balanced diet.
Thanksgiving is the opportunity to eat, make construction paper hand-turkeys and watch football, but it’s also an opportunity to look back on the year and remind yourself of the importance of giving thanks. Getting bogged down by all the negative can really take a toll on us, so here’s a list of things I’m thankful for:
The snooze button. A slap is to an alarm as a hug is to a snooze button. When your alarm screams, “Get out of bed, you have to be in class in a half-hour!” your snooze button is the calming hand that caresses your forehead and says, “Fifteen more minutes, my child,” with a voice that seems to personify ocean waves.
Cheese fries. “Cheese fries are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” Benjamin Franklin once said. Combine everything in the world that’s bad for your body but wonderful for your soul, plate it and add ranch (see: Linda’s cheese fries). This is an unpaid endorsement for Linda’s Bar and Grill, but anytime they’d like to start paying me for my unwavering support, my email is under my byline.
“This Will Be,” by Natalie Cole. Because this song will make you feel all tingly and make you want to hug strangers in the library and scream at them, “You can do this! Believe in yourself! You’re multi-talented and if this paper doesn’t work out, at least you have great hair!”
Emails with “Class Canceled” written in the subject line. A gift like this doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s like Christmas morning. While I don’t mean to discredit the invaluable skills and knowledge I’ve gained at UNC, there is nothing like waking up, checking your email and finding out that you can roll back over for at least another hour.
Polite people. I swear, nothing makes my day more than a door held open or a sincere, “Have a great day.” It’s cliche, but sometimes the little things really can make all the difference. (And if someone holds the door for you, even if you’re in a hurry, say “Thank you!” Because if you don’t, I will sarcastically say, “You’re welcome your majesty,” carry you to your next class, make you wear a Burger King crown and hire a band of trumpets to herald your arrival. Because that’s just inconsiderate.)
Exercise. Well, when I say exercise, I mean running three minutes to your friend’s house because she’s making cupcakes. Step two is more difficult because you have to eat one, then run back. I’m thinking of creating a line of video workouts titled “Sedentary Lifestyle with Jax” in which I teach you how to perfectly burrito yourself into your comforter.
