I’ve always been pretty family-oriented, but somehow, college has begun to take that from me.
This previous weekend, I went home for the first time in over a month. I don’t go home too often, as I live on the other side of the state, and between school and work, I don’t have a lot of free time. Also, most of my friends are at Ferris, so I typically like to spend my weekends with them. However, I was becoming incredibly homesick and I made the drive back to see my family.
I was so excited to be back in a place of complete comfort, but when I walked in the door, melancholy washed over me.
Once I was home and spent some time with my family, I realized just how much I missed while I’ve been away. My mom and I caught up on our lives for the past month, and I discovered that there was so much I hadn’t told her since I last saw her. I finally
talked face-to-face with my dad for the first time since he was pretty sick three weeks prior. My sister, with whom I am really close, told
me anecdotes about her personal and professional lives that I likely would have already heard if I was still in the bedroom right next to hers.
But, I’m not. Therefore, I am missing everything.
It is so easy to become consumed with “the college experience” and forget to contact your loved ones back home.
When spending your weekdays studying in FLITE and your weekends watching Ferris football games or dancing at Shooters, your relatives are likely not on your mind all the time, and I get it. I am unbelievably guilty of this, but after experiencing the unintended exclusion from my family’s lives, I vow to do better.
Family plays an integral role in the lives of many students, and they should be treated as such. Even during busy, stressful weeks, pause and call or text your loved ones to check in and say hello. If you are able to drive home, take a break from Big Rapids every once in a while and drive home for the weekend. Sometimes, especially during stressful times, spending time with those who mean the most can be the antidote you didn’t know you needed.
Don’t miss out on your family’s lives just because you’re away at Ferris. Make it a point at least once a week to contact someone from home: a parent, a sibling, a friend. You can’t imagine how much it’ll mean to them when you do.