By Sarah Davis | Echo
It's a simple life here at Taylor. We walk through buildings to avoid the cold, sit at our desks, do our work and live in community. But sometimes in our routines we forget the little things that make Taylor life sweet. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, and with great love for our second home, here are some Taylor things we can be thankful for:
Round tables
Found in the Dining Commons and the Union, these tables mean no one is ever on the end. No one is ever out of the conversation, and there is always room for one more. Be thankful for a school that cares about where we sit.
Morning bathroom interactions
You've been awake for one minute, and you've already mumbled a "hi" to your roommate, waved to three people in the hall and said "good morning" to the group at the mirror. Remember when you lived at home and going to the bathroom wasn't a social outing? Sure, you may have spent less time in there, but it wasn't nearly as fun. Be grateful you live with your friends and that you see them often. Be thankful that they're nice, even when mornings are hard. (And if you're in Bergwall, be thankful for a bathroom to yourself!)
Carpooling everywhere
If you have a car, be thankful for that. But if you need to find a ride, be thankful for that too. So many friendships are made on drives to Walmart over long talks and good playlists. Great relationships can be formed in a time of need or in service to a friend.
Staff and their children
Campus approaches peak cuteness levels when professors' kids come around. You always know when they're coming, because students swarm and squeal, "Hi!" marvelling at the rare sight of a non-college-aged person. When you see them skipping around campus, be thankful for a sweet distraction and the reminder of simpler times. Appreciate your professors and the work they do . . . and appreciate their cute kids.
Ripe bananas
Green and bruised. Unripe. Brown. Those little baskets in the Dining Commons hold a lot of potential for disappointment. But on days when the bananas are pretty, be extra thankful. Eat them with peanut butter, in yogurt, or plain. Eat and be merry; ripe bananas make for a glad Taylor student.
Nice profs
Be thankful for all of your professors, especially the ones who know your name. Be thankful for both how you're learning, as well as the environment where you're learning. Take time to appreciate the small class sizes at Taylor and your professors' investment in you.
Chapel
It is a privilege to have a faithful place to worship as a community. Be thankful for the hugs and close seating and limited leg room. Appreciate the praise teams, speakers, coordinators and everyone who makes chapel so consistent and anticipated.
Each other
This is last point, but it might be the most overlooked. Be thankful for your roommate, your loud neighbors and strangers who say hi. Give thanks for the people who laugh with you and people who laugh at you. Don't take for granted those who share their food, those who will pray for you at any time and those who let you borrow their printer. Love the quiet companions and the bold leaders. Love the ones who tell you look great, even when you just woke up. Love the friends you've known since high school. Love the people in the awkward study group your professor put you in.
And be thankful to the Lord, for the blessing of all of it.
Happy Thanksgiving Taylor. We like you so much.
