One of the many reasons that I think Kenyon is so special is because of the abundance of gratitude I’ve witnessed on this campus. In big ways and small, I regularly see people displaying gratitude for all sorts of things, and the effects that this kind of attitude has on Kenyon is really remarkable. This week, in particular, I’ve been taking note of all the ways we say thanks, and in paying special attention to all that I am lucky to have, I have noticed a serious improvement in my overall outlook. Although certainly not a revolutionary take, I truly believe that consciously trying to be grateful for what you have is key to good living.
One of the most obvious examples of how Kenyon shows appreciation is in the chorus of thank you’s you hear as people buss their dishes in Peirce Dining Hall. As diners put their dirty dishes on the conveyor belt to be washed, it is customary to yell your appreciation to the person washing your dishes. Conversations will pause in order to say thank you and then pick back up as though there was no interruption. When I say thank you as I put my dish away, as I habitually do, I don’t know who exactly I am thanking, but the simple act of showing my gratitude feels very important to me. Although expressing gratitude to the sometimes-present disembodied voice behind the wall may be second nature for most, it still has a power over the person saying it, the person receiving it and the people witnessing it.
It could be easy to take all the services that Kenyon provides for granted: the always-ready food, the cleaned dishes and everything that is prepared behind the scenes to make students’ lives easier. However, it is important for me (and maybe everyone) to acknowledge those things that are crucial to how my life works but that are so easy to forget about. The fact that I don’t have to cook or do dishes makes my life so much easier, and acknowledging and appreciating the labor of others when I say my post-meal ‘thank you’ for making my life easier really helps to check my perspective and all that I have to be thankful for.
Another example of the way Kenyon shows gratitude, which I was shocked to learn was not a common occurrence at every school, is the ‘thank you’ that I hear most students say as they leave any given class. Apparently, thanking your professor for the class you’re leaving is not typical at other colleges, but I really like this aspect of Kenyon classes. We appreciate learning. We appreciate the time our professors put into teaching us. I’ve heard some professors remark on how silly it is that they get thanked as we all leave, but I really like the acknowledgment of our education being something special and worth being grateful for.
With the high-pressure routine that most Kenyon students find themselves following, focusing on the negative is a reflex. I instinctively take more notice of all the things in my life that I wish were different and forget about all that I am fortunate to have. My small thank you’s that I only started saying because I saw everyone else doing it make a difference and make me more aware of how lucky I am in so many ways.
As the semester comes to a close, and I head home to my family for Thanksgiving break, I want to consciously take a moment away from my neurotic spiraling and complaining about whatever I complain about to show my appreciation to the community at large. Getting to pursue an education is something I am so fortunate to be able to do and I am incredibly thankful to everyone who makes this community function as it does.
It does feel a little bit trite for my opinion this week to be about embracing gratitude, especially when there are so many problems in the world that are real and need to be fixed. Saying thanks for what is good does not actually solve what isn’t, and I know that. However, showing gratitude for what we can really does go a long way. I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving and lots to be thankful for.
Dalia Fishman ’27 is a philosophy and religious studies major from McLean, Virginia. She can be reached at fishman2@kenyon.edu.