All families have traditions. These traditions may be big or small, but either way they are a part of that family's unique identity. In my senior peer group, we have our own tradition that celebrates a certain type of family tradition: food. Each of the seniors in my group was assigned a certain month of the school year to bring in a "memory food" that means something to them or their family. By doing this, we have learned something about each of our group members and their families that we probably would not have otherwise.
Because the school year is nearing its end, we have gotten through most of our group. Each person has brought in a delicious food with a personal story to go along with it. Something that I have found very interesting is that none of us have brought in foods that are similar to anybody else's. Each different memory food is as unique as the person who brought it. I didn't get to bring my food in until recently, but I discovered that choosing what food to bring was more difficult than I imagined. I discovered that sharing a tradition with people who aren't a part of it can be frightening because you're afraid of what they may think. Especially within a family, traditions are very personal, so opening them up to possibly being criticized is a scary thought because that tradition has become a part of your identity. I never really realized that something as simple as a dessert that my grandma makes at her cabin could be such an integral part of who I am until I decided to share it with people outside of my family.
Eventually, I decided to bring in one of my favorite desserts, Special-K Bars. I worked up the courage to share that tradition with my senior peer group and it went over well, so now I've decided to share it with you. Ever since I was a little girl, I have been going up to my grandparents' cabin with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. My grandma would make us all Special-K Bars and I would eat about half of them all by myself. As we got older, she taught my older cousins how to make them and then they were able to bring them to the cabin. Eventually, my mom put together a family recipe book and that recipe is one of the ones we put in. Now I have learned how to make them and can share them with my entire family.
Showing posts with label Seniors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seniors. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Time for a Change
This past week, I took my first semester of senior year final exams. Once the last test was over, seniors flooded out into the hallways with smiles on their faces and the same words were on everybody’s lips, “ We’re second semester seniors!”
Many people associate the second semester of senior year with relaxing and slacking off, but it actually can be a stressful time for many seniors as they attempt to make one of the biggest decisions in their lives thusfar. Deciding where to go to college is a daunting task for many people because it is the first time they will be living on their own. Although that may be exciting, it makes me a little nervous.
Where to go?
When I first began my search for colleges, I didn’t think that I had many preferences when it came to distance from home, religious affiliations, or the sizes of schools. However, as college is becoming more of a reality, I’m starting to get a better sense of what I want. I’ve come to realize that I prefer larger schools within the Midwest with no religious affiliations. Realizing this about myself was an important step in my selection process because it has helped me narrow my list of ten down to three, The University of Michigan, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Indiana University.
Bring on the Change
Making any sort of life changing decision, such as where to go to college, can be very difficult because people often feel that change threatens their identity. It’s true that being put in entirely new surroundings and living on your own can affect the person that you are, but that is just a part of maturing. How you adapt to change says a lot about your identity. Some people are naturally more comfortable with change and freely accept it, while others are scared by even the thought of change. I’ll admit that I’m one of the people who is easily frightened and stressed out by the thought of change and it takes me a little longer than some people to adapt to new situations. However, I’ve learned that change is never actually as scary as I anticipate it to be and adapting to change doesn’t have to be a huge struggle.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...
If you are similar to me and struggle with making big decisions or adapting to change, it’s okay, there are ways to work through it. I’ve found that talking to a family member or close friend about the decision I’m trying to make and getting an outside opinion on the matter can be a big help. Also, you need to understand that making a big decision takes time. So, if you find yourself becoming overwhelmed or struggling to make up your mind, go do something else for awhile, clear your head, and come back to the decision later. Don’t be afraid to take chances or make changes in your life just because you feel like it will change who you are. Your identity can change and grow just as your outer appearance can. Change can be good.
Many people associate the second semester of senior year with relaxing and slacking off, but it actually can be a stressful time for many seniors as they attempt to make one of the biggest decisions in their lives thusfar. Deciding where to go to college is a daunting task for many people because it is the first time they will be living on their own. Although that may be exciting, it makes me a little nervous.
Where to go?
When I first began my search for colleges, I didn’t think that I had many preferences when it came to distance from home, religious affiliations, or the sizes of schools. However, as college is becoming more of a reality, I’m starting to get a better sense of what I want. I’ve come to realize that I prefer larger schools within the Midwest with no religious affiliations. Realizing this about myself was an important step in my selection process because it has helped me narrow my list of ten down to three, The University of Michigan, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Indiana University.
Bring on the Change
Making any sort of life changing decision, such as where to go to college, can be very difficult because people often feel that change threatens their identity. It’s true that being put in entirely new surroundings and living on your own can affect the person that you are, but that is just a part of maturing. How you adapt to change says a lot about your identity. Some people are naturally more comfortable with change and freely accept it, while others are scared by even the thought of change. I’ll admit that I’m one of the people who is easily frightened and stressed out by the thought of change and it takes me a little longer than some people to adapt to new situations. However, I’ve learned that change is never actually as scary as I anticipate it to be and adapting to change doesn’t have to be a huge struggle.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...
If you are similar to me and struggle with making big decisions or adapting to change, it’s okay, there are ways to work through it. I’ve found that talking to a family member or close friend about the decision I’m trying to make and getting an outside opinion on the matter can be a big help. Also, you need to understand that making a big decision takes time. So, if you find yourself becoming overwhelmed or struggling to make up your mind, go do something else for awhile, clear your head, and come back to the decision later. Don’t be afraid to take chances or make changes in your life just because you feel like it will change who you are. Your identity can change and grow just as your outer appearance can. Change can be good.
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