Integration 2 Moreau Professor Hnatusko December 3 2021 Encountering My Life Through my second semester in college, I have learned and encountered a lot. Moreau helped me see and taught me more than I ever would have imagined. In week 13, I was presented with the question, What have I encountered, and how will I respond? I believe that I have encountered several life-changing events, some are good, and some are not so good. My most recent life-changing event is Brian Kelly leaving our team and feeling lost on what I should do next. Through the Moreau teachings, I have better learned how to respond to these life-changing events. In the following paragraphs, I will show you what I have encountered this semester and how the Moreau teachings relate to how I responded. In week 9 of Moreau, we learned why letting expectations go is crucial in an article called "Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit" by Julia Hogan. The report starts with the words, "I should be better at this, or My parents will be disappointed if I don't get this job" ("Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit" by Julia Hogan- Moreau FYE week 9). I related to this right away, and I have encountered many expectations in my life. I wanted to sit back and think about some of the expectations I have had in my life. When I was thinking about all of them, one common thing came into view. Almost every expectation was set by myself, and I just told myself everyone else expected it. When I was in, high school I would think that everyone always expected me to play like the best player on the field. This is not possible, and nobody told me I always need to be the best. Through reading the article, I realized https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of-expectations/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau that letting expectations go is freeing, so I vowed to free myself from my own expectations. Since that day, I have been so much happier. In week ten, I shared a personal experience from high school that still affects me today. When I was a senior in high school, my best friend, who is one of the most upstanding and kindhearted people I know, was accused of rape. At first, I was stunned, he told me it wasn't true, but I didn't know what to think, it just seemed so real. As the story played out, I saw the holes. My friend was innocent. The issue was that the people who didn't know him well took the girls' side immediately, and for this, I don't blame them. Rape is a very, very serious topic, and if it was true, the girl would be deserving of the support and help she could get. As well, in the public's eyes, the story was true. This became a community deal, and I was stuck; I knew my friend had not done it, but I thought that if I spoke or stood with him, I would get shamed as well. When I read the content in week twelve, a quote from the article "Could Catholic Schools Teach Critical Race Theory?" by Christopher Devron stood out to me. The quote about schools states, "School leaders are placed squarely in the middle, trying to respond to the demands of both groups and looking for support from their boards and other stakeholders" (Should Catholic Schools Teach Critical Race Theory? By Christopher Devron- Moreau FYE week 10). In this quote, we see how School leaders are placed in a sticky spot in some community challenges because they are expected to take both sides, often in a conflict that is often not possible. It reminded me of my situation. I wish I was able to support my friend and the truth as well as show a sensitive side to a girl who was not raped but had some mental demons she had to fight. In the end, I decided to do what was right and stand with my friend. This was not a popular choice by any means, but it was the right one. In the end, my friend was found innocent, but this story still sits with me as I can now see how the world can be totally against you sometimes when you are in the right. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/06/03/critical-race-theory-catholic-high-schools-black-lives-matter-240792 https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/06/03/critical-race-theory-catholic-high-schools-black-lives-matter-240792 In week 11, the quote "The concept of a community must embrace even those we perceive as "enemy" stood out to me (Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community by Parker Palmer- Moreau FYE week 11). I like this quote because it is very true. To be a successful community, one must be open to everyone in it, including those you consider your enemy. This semester I encountered a big challenge with my injury. It felt at times like the coaches forgot I even existed. I developed spite for one of my coaches, and he, in my mind, was my enemy. About halfway through the semester, I decided to try and understand him rather than hate him. I realized that he wasn't against me, but I was just injured, and during the season, that serves no help to his job. Me being able to see this through helped me be more happy and enthusiastic about coming back to football. In week 12, we addressed the topic of hope. My whole life, I have been catholic, so hope has always been engraved in me—for example, the hope of the resurrection or the hope that god's kingdom is real. In one of the readings, I found a quote that states, "Striving for completeness means spending one's life as a citizen of this world imitating the person of Christ as the gateway to citizenship in heaven. On this bedrock principle, all faith and thus all human hope rests." I found this quote from the campus ministry very moving (Holy Cross and Christian Education by the campus ministry- Moreau FYE week 12). As I love and grow in hope, I try to emulate my life after Christ, and although a very unachievable task, I know one day this will help me. On November 29th, I found myself falling back on my hope of a big challenge. My coach Brian Kelly left Notre Dame. I was stunned, I didn't know what to do, and I freaked out. As a freshman, when your coach leaves, it is scary. You will most likely spend the next three years playing for a coach that did not recruit you. I asked myself, what would Jesus want me to do? To tell you the answer, I didn't know, but I did know what he would not want me to do. He http://couragerenewal.org/parker/writings/13-ways-of-looking-at-community/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/27120/files/186051?module_item_id=102825 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/27120/files/186051?module_item_id=102825 wouldn't want me to get angry and get upset with my family members/ girlfriend for no reason, and he surely would not want me to make irrational decisions in a time of stress. I decided to close my eyes and get my mind off of it by listening to some music and had hope in my heart that I was handling it the right way.