Kendall Aronson, Campus Carrier Arts & Living Editor
Thanksgiving is soon approaching, and it is nice to remember all the many things we have to be grateful for. I go to a beautiful school. I have great opportunities ahead of me, a supportive family and two cute dogs at home that I will get to see very soon. The things that I am probably the most grateful for this year are my amazing friends.
When I think about the past year of my life, and my life before college in comparison to now, my friends are what have helped me to flourish most here. I don’t know what I would do without them.
My senior year of high school was hellish. I had a lot of anxiety and a lot of depressive thoughts. I generally hated myself of the time, and I can remember coming home crying almost every day. Now I can’t remember the last time I’ve cried or had a panic attack. I attribute most of this change to the people supporting me now.
I n basically a year and a half, I’ve met some of the loveliest humans I’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering. We’re all very different, and we’re involved in a lot of different things. We’re all bound together by our mutual affection for one another.
I’m with them almost constantly. They make me laugh. They’re the ones I go on midnight walks with and the ones that are there to talk me down and hug me when anything happens. They’re the ones I can just walk outside and literally scream with. The people I stargaze with and who force me to eat vegetables. They are the people who I study with and who I make weird faces at and to whom I send my ugliest selfies. They are the ones I can capture the ugliest candids of. They are the best part of my life.
Having supportive and kind people in my life is so important. It improves my mental health a lot. I still have a lot of insecurities, but knowing that there are people who think I’m amazing helps make all of those things easier. Just a nice “it’s okay, there are people who care about you” keeps me trekking through my stresses.
I think it is super important to find a safe space on campus. Being away from parents, animals and other groups of friends from home can be tough. For different people, that can mean a lot of different things.
I think the most important thing is to have a way to deal with stress and a vibe that can really make Berry feel like home rather than just being where you go to school.
Find people who make you happy and who make you want to be a better person, it makes all the difference. Finding friends probably won’t be an immediate or easy thing either but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing.
And to my friends, thank you so much for as being amazing as you are and for supporting me each and every day. I love you. Happy Thanksgiving.