The whole idea of ‘friendsgiving’ that so many groups participate in —whether it’s with your committee, sorority sisters, A1s, or even close acquaintances— really makes you think about, well, friends! And what friendship means to you. Valley wanted to ponder on what it means to be thankful for your friends, especially with the holidays approaching and during a break from school.
Sometimes it’s hard to be away from your ‘home friends’ and every reunion with them becomes more special. These are the people that have known you for years and know all of your secrets. They innocently befriended you in elementary school, they’ve seen your awkward middle school stages, they’ve been there through the sometimes tough high school scene, and have stayed close to you during college. Friends from home are really irreplaceable. When you are separated by distance it arguably makes your bond even stronger.
Now that’s not to say your college friends are worthless. These friends have probably seen you get take-out for days on end during a hell week, been there through all the bad decisions and questionable behavior, and know a different version of yourself that you probably don’t even understand.
Thanksgiving is a really important time to reflect on friendship, and friendship of all sorts. Each of your friends probably means something different for you. You have the fun friend, the listener, the problem-solver, the person that you go to for anything and everything, the crazy one and the one that you do everything with. These different relationships and dynamics are what make you, you. Just like you are what you eat, you are whom you surround yourself with. Thanksgiving puts this all into perspective, and ‘friendsgiving’ has probably become so popular because it is the perfect opportunity to reflect on your unique friendships.
College has provided us with time and distance to be able to weed out those friends from home who don’t matter, cherish the friendships that have survived, and it is also a time to meet new friends that help us learn more about ourselves and offer new experiences and expectations.
Though not even related, friends might just occupy the deepest parts of hearts. They undoubtedly improve our quality of life and prevent daunting loneliness. Having positive friends makes us happier and better equipped to take on anything that life throws at us. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to simply thank your friends for just being them.
So, make sure to share your feelings with each and every one of them this week!
