Hazardous Holidays

During the holiday season, most families want everything to run smoothly with no imperfections. But, things don’t always go to plan. For junior Bethany Tennis, the holiday gone wrong was Thanksgiving.

      “My mom had to go to school that morning and my dad bought a turkey that was too big,” Tennis said. “Two hours before my family was supposed to come, my mom remembered that the turkey was still in the freezer. She had to cut it into little pieces in order for it to cook faster. It didn’t even look like a turkey afterwards.”

       These “imperfections” can bring families closer together, and for junior Alyssa Souliya that is exactly what happened.

      Souliya was running around during the Fourth of July one year and she decided to jump over a fence. Unfortunately for her, her foot got stuck and she fell face first into the ground.

      “Your whole family experience is made up of memories like these,” Souliya said. “And we always laugh about it afterwards. It helps us bond.”

      Sometimes the only one who can remember their misfortune is the person themself. Sophomore Natalie Day was ringing bells with her cousin one Christmas morning in front of her church.

      “The bells were really expensive, so you weren’t supposed to drop them,” Day said.

      When it was her turn to play, she dropped one of the bells, but Day said she still enjoys that holiday, even more than before.

      “Every time I think of Christmas, I think of that moment,” Day said. “It helps you remember the fun times.”

      For Ricky Ortiz, junior, Christmas also brought a visit to the hospital. His uncle was carrying four chairs up the stairs and he fell backward.

      “We don’t bring it up because it’s too embarrassing for him,” Ortiz said. “But I definitely enjoy the holiday more now. I thought it was the funniest thing in the world.”

      During the holiday season, most families want everything to run smoothly with no imperfections, but to Ortiz the imperfections make the holidays more fun.

      “First off, don’t carry chairs upstairs,” Ortiz said. “But my advice is to just enjoy it for what it is; don’t make it too extravagant. The holidays are about the memories and spending time with family.”

      Souliya and Tennis agree with Ortiz. All three have the same mentality about perfection with the holidays.

      “I don’t think you can perfect the holidays,” Souliya said. “Sometimes unexpected things happen and they may not seem good at the time, but later on when we reminisce we will bond by these not-so-‘perfect’ memories.”