Last year, I attended a Friendsgiving thrown by a guy’s apartment in my building. I was friends in a shallow sense with one of the guys but my apartment-mates were great friends with them. We went all together to the party of about forty people all sitting in the building’s basement at several tables with a massive amount of food, drinks, and yes, even full turkeys. It was amazing! As a junior, I though what a blessing it would be to throw a party like this with all my Gordon friends. But I had a dumb, mean voice in the back of my mind telling me that my time at Gordon was so insignificant, I wouldn’t even get enough people to fill a room.
So this year, it was my fervent desire to host a Friendsgiving, so I threw all my senioritis, unbridled energy, and attention to detail to this fête.
With the help of my lovely friends, Kellyn and Grace, we made (throughout the day) mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole (the kind that has so many marshmellows, it’s more candy than vegetable), crescent rolls, candied walnuts, sweet carrots, gingerbread muffins, chicken, walnut salad, and had some pies and hot cider for dessert! It was a feast (and a feat for me not to set off the fire alarm and only burn myself once!!)
I made “thank-you” cards for everyone, implored them to dress up, and at the table, gave a sappy speech with a rough timeline of my tumultuous Gordon experience. I included where they all fit in, to the cool girl I was stupidly determined not to be friends with when I first transferred (Grace), the sweet social work major who made Discovery not only bearable but fun (Maria), the one who got me through Macroeconomics (Colette), to my current apartment, and the apartment that saved my life last year (Hannah, Jackie, and co.).
It was truly everything I’ve wanted- to throw my own event and be able to look down the table at friends who truly affected my time at college. I’m thankful for all of them in so many different ways.
If I could’ve expanded the event through time and space, I’d have all my friends who were integral to the unique and special college experience I’ve had. All my friends from France (French, American, British), my students and team from Hong Kong, my students and fellow interns from Haiti (Kayla Nurse Extraordinaire), all of my unique roommates, McKenzie, Nick, Abigail, Nicole, Raegan Marie, my Taylor friends, my Zionsville friends, and my family.
I realized just how big my sense of community was, from the ten of us squished in Bromley 208 today to those spread across the United States and beyond.
I love you all and if I could stuff you full of food, I would.
Thanks for making me yours.
With thanksgiving,
Maggie
Becca with her favorite thing- apple cider
Hannah won’t admit it, but she loved it.
Becca and Ellie defeated by the post-meal fatigue.
All my baes.
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