As cliche as it sounds, the change in color of the leaves, sky, and world around us as we make our way into fall acts as a true symbol of the change we experience during the seasons of our lives.
As Thanksgiving creeps closer, we are encouraged to practice thankfulness. Reflection is a large part of this practice, allowing us to be more aware of the things we overlook, shift our perspectives and remain present and mindful of our experiences.
Now is the time to find beauty in change. I think back to where I was in years past, oblivious to all the changes my life would endure. As a high schooler, the stress is about exams, schedules, and now, post-graduation decisions. And yet, as I look back even further, to a time when there wasn’t much to celebrate, I have found the ability to be grateful for the stress at hand.
For some, holidays are the most stressful time of the year, regardless of dysfunctional dynamics and somber situations. Holidays and hospital visits certainly aren’t the recipe for happiness. Looking out of the 11th-floor windows of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, I knew that underneath the many roofs in view, hugs were being shared and cousins wrestled on the carpet. Reuniting with family through glass windows and compulsively sanitizing with hospital-grade disinfectant wiped all the sense of thankfulness away.
Although my wrist wasn’t the one adorned with a hospital bracelet, it weighed on me as a big sister that traditional Thanksgiving feasts couldn’t be enjoyed the same way. I struggled with the fact that a chemo-filled body isn’t able to enjoy food as much as the rest of us, and food is the centerpiece of the holidays for my family. A plastic tray of unseasoned, beige hospital food is anything but festive.
I am thankful to no longer be in a season of sterilizing and sanitizing, thankful that those hardships have passed. I feel lucky that my stress this season is about test scores and college, realistic presents for my brother, and if our intelligent staff of 28 students can uphold the high standards set for Arlingtonian.
Without reflection, a change in life’s seasons often feels like loss, rather than growth and maturation. I hope you find a moment to reflect and be grateful for all that is good and bad. May a shift in perspective welcome the season’s changes.
