When we were kids, this was the best time of the year.
The weeks before Christmas break were full of parties, holiday activities, crafts, and endless holiday treats. After school was just as great: we would play for hours in the snow, ice skate with friends at West Park, or sled at the fastest speed possible down a hill..
Every morning, my sister and I would run down the stairs to see what the Elf on the Shelf had done the night before. Louie the Elf would hide, bring gifts, make big messes, and never disappoint. It was so exciting and magical.
Sometime around middle school, however, the last few weeks before Christmas break became focused on stressing about quizzes, finishing assignments, and, of course, studying for the dreadful final exams.
Sure, we still have some time to go ice skating, sledding, or skiing. But other activities feel so much more pressing and serious: exams, homework, and the stress of being a high school student who is focused on the future.
I knew that as I grew up I would have to deal with all of this, but what I did not know was the immense amount of nostalgia I would be hit with on top of that.
Around the holidays, I get nostalgic for the moments when I was a little kid. It was so much more fun, more exciting, more magical.
On the other hand, while it’s sad to see my childhood come to a close slowly, it also opens my mind to look ahead to see what the future holds.
Yes, school may not be as fun and filled with holiday activities it had a few years ago. But now I have my license and, once winter break starts, I can take myself to any winter activity I want to do.
Maybe growing up, is realizing that the magic of the holidays doesn’t disappear but shifts. I have realized that my parents created those traditions every year, but now I have the joy of creating new, exciting traditions for myself.
Shifting my mindset has made me become way more excited for this holiday season. I try to create new traditions to keep the holidays feeling magical like driving to downtown Chicago to try all of the holiday activities they have to offer with my friends.
Growing up doesn’t mean losing the magic of the holidays, but rather discovering magic in new places.
