Perhaps the most delightful Christmas gift this season will not be one that fits beneath the tree. It will not be able to be opened, and you can’t exchange it for store credit.
The Christmas gift I’m most looking forward to this year is the feeling I’ll get as I celebrate the finale of 2016 with friends and family.
I cannot wait until the ball drops in Times Square. The countdown will be one where everyone chants with an added decibel. The conclusion of the ball’s descent will be raucous; it will be filled with jubilance, hyper-excitement and a sense of relief that, perhaps, 2017 may bring us a more secure feeling about ourselves, our country and our world.
That’s what late December has always been about. At least for me.
As the cold weather begins to creep in, people stop complaining as much about stupid articles on BuzzFeed, and, instead, redirect their general distaste for the world. The complaining shifts to complaining about the bitter cold, soul-crunching Bostonian winds or the fact that their BU dorm room is inefficiently heated.
This, of course, doesn’t even take into account the agony that is finals season. Many students realize they need to kick it into gear. They’ll travel to Mugar for the first time, only to find that the scarcity of seats will cost them precious study minutes as they weave in and out of aisles looking for vacancies.
While some people may just take the losing card, I’ve always been inspired by the folks around me during this time of the year. The smell of coffee sets an aroma for success as students fuel their work-intensive days and nights with more caffeine than physically necessary. I’d love to be privy to Dunkin’ Donut’s accounting books to see just how obscene their profit margins are each December.
But I digress.
December is about finishing the year strong. It’s about proving to yourself that you have grown in the past year and are now capable of more than you were previously.
If you earned a C- on an exam earlier in the semester, it’s about crushing the final. It’s about not only showing the teacher that failure doesn’t stop you, but more importantly, it’s about showing yourself what hard work can accomplish.
With Christmas break within striking distance, it is time to prove that finals are opportunities to shine, rather than punishments to suffer through. This is the necessary mentality if our country wants to get back to thriving in 2017.
Sure, we did just have the most obnoxious election in history. We watched America divide in two, hatred become more talked about than peace, and yellow journalism find its way to the forefront of the mainstream — but these are lessons to be learned.
2017 is about correcting the mistakes. No country ever became strong by doing everything right the first time.
Donald Trump is currently exemplifying the December crunch-time attitude with his rapid cabinet selections and continued bold strategies to push America back to being a force to be reckoned with.
You may not agree with the man, nor with the Republicans, about to control both houses of Congress, but December is also about unifying. It’s about remembering what’s really important.
This month should also be filled with memories of family time, spent without arguments about the state of the union, but rather arguments over which classic winter movie to watch.
America is only as strong as its families. In a day and age filled with technology and individualism, we must look back to the roots of how this country was founded.
It was founded on principles that began in the household. Washington, Adams and Jefferson were nothing without their families. Inevitably, they thought about their kin as they wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
We are a country of families. A family of families.
As the days get colder, shorter and darker, December provides us with an amazing opportunity to reflect on such things.
So, soak in the holiday spirit, give back where you can and put your finest efforts forth on these finals. In doing so, you will gain a sense of accomplishment and add meaning to your life that will carry you through the new year.
2017 will be a remarkable year, but only if we properly reflect on 2016 and learn from our mistakes.
Happy holidays everyone. I’ll see you in 2017.
