‘Tis a month before semester’s end and everyone here from senior administration to the freshmen class is readying for the holidays as they quickly draw near. Faculty are preparing their final lectures and reviews before giving final exams. No doubt, the nooks and crannies of the various libraries on campus soon will be filled to capacity with students writing papers, finishing projects and studying.
But soon, it will be over. Relief is in sight. You’ll ride in your car or on an airplane take flight. Getting off campus, leaving Ole Miss behind. Going home for the holidays will be so sublime! Good times await you with family and friends. You can hardly wait for the holidays to begin!
But before the deadlines close in, before you begin to feel the stress of assignments due, take a few moments to reflect upon the reasons for the season. The winter holidays should bring more than a welcome respite from the pressures of academia. This should be a time when there’s a focus on joy, peace and good will toward all mankind.
Unfortunately, circumstances are rarely ideal. For many, the loneliness they feel most of the year is amplified during the holidays. Bouts with depression and suicide attempts usually ramp up during this season. The need for basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter is more acute than we can begin to imagine.
So, before you get caught up in finishing the semester strong and traveling away from campus and the Oxford-Lafayette County area, remember these three things:
First, be thankful. Pause long enough to see how fortunate you’ve been, particularly compared to the less fortunate.
Second, be sensitive. This is a time when it’s perfectly legit to think of someone else besides yourself. Pause long enough to see how fortunate you’ve been. Look into the eyes of people who speak to you. Notice their moods. Listen. See whether they’re actually doing as well as their responses seem to indicate. If they don’t speak to you first, then you reach out to them.
Third and finally, be responsible. Don’t turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to those clear cries for help. If you saw/heard them, then you’re the one who can and must do something. So often, tragedies could have been avoided if just one person had simply taken the time to get involved in a crisis situation. Believe it or not, you’ll actually feel good knowing that your words and actions made a positive difference in someone else’s life.
After all, isn’t that what this season is really all about?