Advent 4

 Wednesday, First Week of Advent
30 November 2022

As a kid, Advent excited me for one reason: the Advent calendar. I always loved counting down to Christmas by searching for the day’s number, prying open the small cardboard door, and scarfing down the little piece of Christmas-themed chocolate. I haven’t had an Advent calendar in years, but a few weeks ago, I opened a package from my mom to find one. Instead of chocolate, I’ll be tasting a new tea every day until Christmas. I’m excited to combat the Clinton cold with a variety of flavors, but more so, I’m grateful to have another daily reminder that these next few weeks are for more than finishing my classes. 

I want to avoid the all too familiar moment of submitting my last final and thinking, “how the heck is it Christmas already?” Every year, I read these reflections and scour the internet for the perfect presents, but it’s hard to feel the holiday spirit when the last few weeks of the semester evoke emotions that are anything but festive. I struggle to take any time to reflect on Advent when it feels as if my academic success hinges upon every single possible minute of productivity, but I know I need to honor my spiritual success too. 

So this year, I’ve made a promise to myself: no matter how busy and chaotic things feel in these last few weeks of the semester, every day I will pause, take a new tea out of my Advent calendar, and embrace the spirit of Advent as I make it. While the water boils and my tea steeps, I’ll sing through my favorite Advent and Christmas hymns in my head, think about what I want to cook for my loved ones for my Christmas dinner, or listen to Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors and picture my younger self decorating the tree in my grandparents’ living room. I hope I will take joy and comfort in knowing that I am not allowing the stress and strain of school to blind me to the beauty of Advent (even if I don’t like every day's tea flavor ). Christmas won’t sneak up on me this year. 

Kate Burnham ’23