Integration 3 Moreau FYE Professor Taylor 4 March 2022 Accomplishment with Care is dead. Although his life was cut short, those who were closest to him recognized that, although imperfect, Tom accomplished a lot in his life. More importantly than this accomplishment alone, though, was the manner in which he accomplished. Tom cared. He cared about what he was doing. He cared about the quality of his work. But most importantly, he cared about the people around him. One of the first things you should know about Tom’s life is that he was always willing to put his ego, and sometimes dignity, on the line to try something new. There was never a reasonable challenge that Tom wouldn’t give a go. During his life, Tom recognized that “the only way to know more about yourself is to test the waters - just get out and experience life!” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). Whether it was trying out almost every sport in the book, from football to curling, or simply saying yes to whatever bizarre adventures his friends suggested – Tom did his best to experience the world. More than just experiencing the most he could, Tom accomplished the most he could. Fr. Hesburgh, one of the most accomplished presidents of the University of Notre Dame, knew all about accomplishment. As a documentary about him states, “Fr. Hesburgh was non-partisan, he was willing to get in there, roll up his sleeves, and figure out, how do you come up with answers?” ("Hesburgh" by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). Much like Hesburgh, Tom understood the value of alternate perspectives. In everything he did, he took https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 exceptional care to balance what he thought to be right, what others thought to be best, and what he knew to be true. In a reflection after a conversation with his Mom on discerning his path in life, Tom wrote,“How I feel and what I value is not always conveyed in how I act and that I need to take more care with my actions to ensure I am doing things that I would want to see myself doing” (Moreau FYE Week Five). For those of you who knew Tom more loosely, it's likely that you knew a guy that got stuff done. If you wanted results, you went to Tom. And although this aspect of his life was important to him and true, those closest to Tom knew that he valued so much more than outcomes and outcomes alone. Sometimes, Tom got into his own head. Sometimes, Tom cared too much. Too much about his own abilities. Too much about how he could’ve done more. Tasha Eurich, in her TED article advised, “This means that the act of thinking about ourselves isn’t necessarily correlated with knowing ourselves” ("The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There's a Wrong Way)" by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week Six). Tom experienced this reality first hand. Despite this, when things got rough – when the world seemed poised against him or when everything he had valued highest fell or got torn apart – the best of Tom came out. Tom moved quickly and kept himself busy. It is rare that on a given day you would find Tom doing absolutely nothing. In fact, Tom worked to speed his life up. If he had excessive free time then that time should be used to accomplish something more. Pico Iyer pointed out in his TED article, “The very people, in short, who have worked to speed up the world are the same ones most sensitive to the virtue of slowing down” ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). Although Tom very rarely took the time to slow down his life for his own well being – he would drop anything when his friends or family needed him. https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ More than anything else in his life, Tom valued love. Tom recognized that love accomplished the greatest good. By loving those around him, Tom made the world a better place. As many of us know, love is not easy. Love can hurt. Love can make you question everything. Love can make you suffer. Tom loved deeply, and sometimes, Tom hurt deeply. Yet even in his worst times, even when the goal that Tom had worked towards with every ounce of his soul, for 3 years of his life, was suddenly and obviously no longer obtainable, Tom projected his love outward. Fr. Ted Boyle described, “We have a chance, sometimes, to create a new jurisdiction, a place of astonishing mutuality, whenever we close both eyes of judgment and open the other eye to pay attention” ( “Chapter 8: Jurisdiction” by Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. - Moreau FYE Week Seven). Tom recognized this. In some of the greatest turmoil of his life, Tom sought new jurisdictions. Sister Aletheia from the Daughters of St. Paul once said,“Remembering death keeps us awake, focused, and ready for whatever might happen — both the excruciatingly difficult and the breathtakingly beautiful” ("Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die" by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week Three). Tom is no longer with us, but Tom acted, to the best of his ability, to live each day in a way he might if it were his last. Tom did not know he was going to die, but we all will, and many of us will not see it coming. You do not have to uncover a groundbreaking scientific discovery to make a difference. You do not have to solve poverty or bring about world peace. You can make a difference each and every day by simply being who you are, and being that well. I would like to say that Tom achieved that in his life. To conclude this eulogy on Tom’s short, yet meaningful life, I want to stress who Tom really wanted to be in his life. Yes, Tom wanted to achieve great things and he did. Yes, Tom wanted to experience the world for all it had to offer and he took a lot of steps to do so. But more https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41005/modules/15800 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html than anything, Tom wanted those around him to feel loved and valuable. That’s who Thomas King was and that is what he wants to be remembered for.