So often in today’s world, people get captivated by the idea of material objects.

Sometimes people talk to me about the consumer culture of our modern-day society and I roll my eyes. I feel that everyone likes to criticize whenever they can and adults seem to love to talk about “us kids” that just can’t get enough of our phones and always seem to want the newest, latest, most expensive product on the market.

Sometimes, I feel compelled to try to defend my generation because, honestly, we get kind of a bad rap.

However, it has become clear to me in my 19 years that a gift is an object of some sort. I don’t know what happened to just making a grand gesture and appreciating that for what it is, but the fact of the matter is that’s just not how it works. Birthdays are focused on presents, on Christmas, everyone is anxious to see what is under the tree and if you want to make a nice gesture for a friend or significant other you go out and buy something. I’m not pointing the finger, no part of me thinks that I am innocent of this or above it in any way, but it’s something that I have noticed.

Recently, I’ve realized that my favorite part about college is the fact that just simply someone’s presence becomes a present. What do I mean by this? I mean that because you’re away from your family and home friends for so long, you start to appreciate the moments that you’re with them far more than any object that could be bought, given, or received. I have two recent examples of this, involving my two besties.

First, my best friend just visited me two weekends ago. We met freshman year of high school and have been inseparable ever since. We bond over our various street-not-smart stories as we call them and went through just about every high school milestone memory you can think of together. Despite the fact that we call each other (A LOT) and tend to keep pretty in the loop with what is going on in each other’s lives, it’s hard to go months without seeing each other.

I have never looked forward to any holiday or birthday as much as I looked forward to the day she got to campus. I was buzzing in my last class of the week, overly anxious to get to my dorm where she was waiting for me. It was so great to see her. Everything from introducing her to my college friends, to talking late in the hallway, to showing her around campus, and hanging out with her for the quick 48 hours she was here made me realize how much I missed her and how happy I was to just have her around.

The next example involves my brother Jack, who has been my best friend for 18 years running. I would do anything for this kid, but I was going on nearly 10 weeks without seeing him. Jack is one of the captains of his high school hockey team and there is nothing he takes more seriously than his hockey. He works hard at it, and the results are clear every time he steps on the ice. About two weeks ago, I got a call that his team had won the state semis and they would consequently be going to the championship.

The second I heard this, all the events I had that weekend started scrolling through my mind. With the last weekend in March being the last weekend before Easter break, I was booked, to say the least. However, my dad called me, ready to work with me, and a quick, 24-hour trip home was planned for the game.

I didn’t tell anyone I was coming, only my dad knew, and showing up at my house to surprise my mom and my four younger siblings was exhilarating. I did not realize how shocked they were all going to be, or how happy. It made me realize that because it had been so long since they had seen me just having me around seemed like a big deal.

So that is what I mean when I say that your presence become a present. When you go to college and start to not see people for a while, just being around for a little can make a huge difference. It was honestly an amazing realization to me the past few weeks how much just being around a person can mean, and I immediately realized that this feeling of joy that washes over me when I see someone for the first time in a while is the only reason I can make it so long without seeing people I’m used to seeing every day.