Integration Three Mojica 1 Professor Lassen Moreau First Year Experience 4 March 2022 Living Life Loudly It is hard to know where to start, when talking about the legacy that Katherine left behind. We all know and remember how clearly every emotion was written on her face, how she would run away from cringey movie scenes, and how she would throw herself on the ground just to give her dogs an extra pet or two. That was the kind of person she was. Always pushing herself to be better, to do better, to feel better. She cared a lot, about the world around her, about her family, her friends, her dogs. But what inspired the person she became? And what advice can we all look to, to learn how to become like the person that Katherine was? In looking at Katherine’s life, I immediately thought about her priorities and the way that she lived everyday. She was a fiercely independent individual, never afraid to raise her hand first or to be the one to talk on the phone for the pizza delivery (that is, if no one else wanted to do it). In fact, she was a person who could be entirely happy in her own little world, although she only occasionally wanted to be. She loved spending time with her family and friends, talking and laughing until she felt full inside. She loved people, and loved being with people, but if it ever became too much, she was never afraid to talk on and on about her “social battery” and how she needed to go recharge for a while. In the words of Pico Iyer, “the more we contact others, the more, it seems, we lose contact with ourselves” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer, TED - Moreau FYE Week One). Katherine preached self-care all of the time, and I think that is something that we can learn from her life. She knew her limits, and she was not afraid to https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ Mojica 2 stand up for herself and for her needs. In all of our lives, it is always important to take time for ourselves. As much as we want to care about others, we can only do so much if we are not taking care of ourselves. So during this week, this month, this year, this life: take a minute of deep breaths or even just a couple of seconds to close your eyes and think about exactly how you are feeling in that moment. For just a little while, put yourself and your own needs and feelings first. See how it feels. Reaffirm yourself and your place in the world, and then go on with your day, your night, your life. You might feel a bit better if you do. Katherine was also someone who was passionate about all sorts of things, be it social justice, socioeconomic opportunities for everyone, environmental protection, political involvement, peace in our world, etc. She contained a whole lot of empathy for everyone and everything she came across, and she struggled with figuring out where to channel her intense emotions about the world’s problems. She took it all on her own back, shouldering the weight of the world. Even in college when she was still trying to figure out what to do, her mom said that they had a conversation for a Discernment Conversation Activity in which they talked about how what Katherine really wanted to do was help people (“Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity” - Moreau FYE Week Five). She believed that bringing people together was of utmost importance. Differences between us do not outweigh the love that can bring people together. In the words of Father Hesburgh, “differences of culture, religion, and conviction can coexist with friendship, civility, and even love” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). Until the very end, Katherine remained optimistic that we would all be able to come together, even if it took a lifetime. She hated how polarized the world became and she worked hard to at least try and empathize with every person she came across. Just as Father Greg Boyle talks about in Tattoos on the Heart, “it always becomes impossible to demonize someone https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit?usp=sharing https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 Mojica 3 you know” (“Tattoos on the Heart” by Fr. Greg Boyle - Moreau FYE Week Seven). So, Katherine worked to get to know as many people as she could (at least the ones who were not scared off by her resting face). She tried her very hardest to care for as many people as she could. So the next time you hate someone deeply, so passionately that it makes you want to scream, I ask you to give them a second chance. Walk in their shoes for a bit. Do it for Katherine, and do it for the empathetic world that she dreamed of seeing. While Katherine caused a lot of smiles in this world, she also faced a lot of hardships too, and struggled especially with mental health throughout her life. She fought through them, and was able to find contentment and joy even during those difficult times. She especially turned to friends and family, people she loved and trusted to help her surge onward. Like Dr. JD Kim, she knew that “suffering is part of our lives. It is always there, but [life] is really about how to respond to suffering” (“5 Minutes” by Aria Swarr - Moreau FYE Week Six). Katherine responded to suffering with vengeance. She hated those lows, but she knew that having them made the highs that much sweeter. It was hard, but she learned from people like Sister Aletheia, that in life, “it’s actually in facing the darkest realities of life that we find light in them” (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week Three). Life is hard, tricky, messy. But in order to find true joy and light, we must forge on through the darkness to get there. So when you are at your lowest, just trying to make it through until tomorrow, I want to tell you to remember that the light will come. The sun will always come up. I promise. It will come. So while it is sad to say our final goodbyes to Katherine, I want to leave you all with a few last thoughts about Katherine. She was a determined, strong, powerful individual who took the world by storm. So, just like the “Navigating Your Career Journey” page says, “get out and https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/files/524008/download?download_frd=1 https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html Mojica 4 experience life!” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). Katherine would have wanted you all to be a force for good in the world, but most importantly, to be truly alive in this world. To feel every feeling and experience every experience. Life is meant to be lived loudly. Remember that. So go be the person you were meant to be, the person that Katherine believed you could be. You can do it. And never back down, no matter what the world says. https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/