*Republished from the November 1998 issue of The Kayseean
By Aaron Cowan
Well, the stress of final exams is nearly over; the essays have been written, formulas memorized, and all our knowledge gained over the last 3 months has been spilled out onto paper and offered up to the mercy of our professors, who hold our fate in their hands. All of us are crying out for a rest, a sabbatical, a CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!
Christmas takes on a new significance once you come to college. It becomes a completely different experience than at any other time in our lives – a return to a place that used to be called “home” but somehow doesn’t feel like home anymore, a chance to catch up with old friends that you used to see every day, a break from schoolwork and the college life, a chance to eat home-cooked meals again.
This will be my last real Christmas break, as next year I will be out of school and in that horrible entity we know as “the real world”. This is the last year that I will have three free weeks with nothing to really do except be with my family and friends.
Christmas is known as a time when we give gifts, and my family and friends are two of the greatest gifts God has given me. I know that not everyone looks forward to 3 weeks with their family, and I understand that aspect of it, too. But, I encourage you (and myself) to extend a little grace to those we love and overlook faults this year. Begin to unwrap those gifts that God has given us: take advantage of the time to really be with your family. It will be the greatest gift you can give them – and yourself.
