I have a confession to make: Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that, in all honesty, I hate it. I’ve been a vegetarian for eighteen years, so the turkeys, hams, gravy, green beans (with bacon), collard greens (with bacon), and other traditional Thanksgiving foods hold very little appeal to me. I live about a thousand miles away from the majority of my family, and going home so close to winter holidays is usually not an option for me. Throw in its decidedly problematic history, and it all adds up to a holiday I’m not particularly interested in celebrating.
With that being said, I think there is something lovely about the idea of a day set aside for giving thanks, especially in these times, where there is so much to be unhappy, or disappointed, or discouraged about. With all the problems in the world, it’s nice to have a day where I take the time to recognize all that there is to be thankful for. So, without further ado (or futher maudlin reflections), here are some things that I find myself truly thankful for this year.
My co-workers. Oh no, is that cheesy? Even if it is, it’s true and I have to give credit where credit is due. I had only been at Heller for seven months when the pandemic forced us to move to working from home, and it would have been so easy for me to feel isolated and disconnected if not for my amazing co-workers. I speak to the other staff members on the admissions team at least once a day, and we have a weekly staff meeting where we share our accomplishments and what we’re working on this week, as well as catch up on what we’re watching on Netflix (I recommend The Queen’s Gambit!). The larger Heller community also frequently meets up for Coffee with the Dean, and I’ll admit that the Election Week Conversations with the Dean is one of the only things that kept me calm that week. Since this is, after all, a blog post, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to the amazing graduate assistants that write for this blog and share their experiences with all of you. Which leads me to…
The fourth season of Netflix’s The Crown. I’m a huge British history buff, but to be honest; I know way more about the Tudor, Jacobean, or Elizabethan era than I know about contemporary British history. The Crown has been a fun introduction to a time in British history I hadn’t known about for the last few years (for example, I had heard of the Profumo Affair, but didn’t know any of the details), but the fourth season was absolutely incredible. For those not watching, this season focuses on Princess Diana’s introduction and marriage to Prince Charles; it may seem silly to say that I don’t want to spoil anything since the events themselves happened forty years ago, but even if you know the outlines of the story, the storytelling still manages to take you by surprise.
This blog. I’d wanted to start an Admissions’ Blog since almost my first month at Heller, but it never quite felt like the right time. Then, when the world as we know it came crashing down in March, it seemed like the perfect time to launch. My goals at the offset were two-fold: first, that it would be a place to share authentic experiences about Heller, and second, that it would help students with the application process, especially students who may not be familiar with the graduate application process. I would like to think that we’ve met those goals, and more. I’m thankful, again, for our student bloggers for sharing their stories and experiences, and allowing me to see a side of Heller that I don’t always get to see.
The rise of TikTok. Yes, TikTok is a massive time thief, but I have to admit that I am thankful for it. In these times of isolation, I find myself incredibly grateful for people all over the world who are trying to make others laugh or trying to teach strangers how to bake bread. TikTok truly has something for everyone, and I’ve found myself reconnecting to old friends by sending them videos that remind me of them. I also learned how to make an absolutely incredible butternut squash curry, and it’s now my go-to weekday lunch.
All of you. Again, I know this is terribly cheesy, but it is true. As of today, this blog has had its best month yet in terms of visitors and views. There are so many people, from all over the world (this month we’ve had readers from Columbia, Switzerland, Ghana, India, Tanzania, Germany, and so many more), who are interested in learning more about Heller. And if you’re interested in Heller, I know that means that you are interested and passionate about making the world a better place and creating meaningful change. It’s been a dark year in many ways, but every time I see the statistics for the blog, I’m reminded of just how many people there are out there that want to make a difference.