MFYE 2 - Integration Three Moreau First Year Experience Integration Three March 4, 2022 The Lovely Life of Today we celebrate the life of . Lily wanted to be remembered as a happy soul. Someone who would go out of their way to help others. Someone who had plentiful love in her heart, and who was willing to give a hand even if you were not her favorite. Someone who was slow to judge, and accepting of everyone. Someone who loved her family and those around her. I do not think that Lily was on a mission to try and save the world. Instead, she was always looking to be the best daughter, sister, aunt, granddaughter, cousin, mother, and friend. Her personal role in others’ lives was more important to her than changing the world. She helped the people in her life work through trouble, cheered them on, and made them feel loved. Her success influenced positive outcomes for the large circle of people that surrounded her (Phone Interview with Pat Lorenson by - Moreau FYE Two Week Five). She grew up in rural Minnesota and graduated in 2021 from Perham High School in Perham, Minnesota. She then went on to attend college at the University of Notre Dame. She graduated in 2025 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and she also obtained a business certificate through the University of Minnesota. After college she worked at a small company which gave way for her to get a job she had always wanted. Lily worked for John Deere’s RDO Equipment Company in Fargo, North Dakota for many years. She got married and raised a lovely family. Before her passing, Lily enjoyed her retirement in her lake home with her husband, and loved to golf on the course where she had once worked her very first job as a teeenager. Lily’s way of thinking ahead and wanting to be in control lead me to include a quote from Miss Ruth Graham, a nun who told New York Times, “We try to suppress the thought of death, or escape it, or run away from it because we think that’s where we’ll find happiness,” ("Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die" by Ruth Graham, NY Times - Moreau FYE Two Week Three). Lily agreed that we run from things, thinking that we will find happiness that way. She thought that death was something you simply could not avoid. By living your life with this unavoidable thought in your mind, it allows you to cherish every day God gives you. A popular thing in the Notre Dame community, which Lily became a part of, was Hesburgh, the movie about Father Hesburgh’s life and his impact on Notre Dame. The last quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. before they announce his death in the movie is, “There can be no great disappointment, where there is no great love,” ("Hesburgh" Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Two Week Two). He was talking about the war in Vietnam. Lily thought the quote was perfect for those circumstances, but also that it can be used in countless others, specifically, in everyday life. She thought it was good to keep in mind that disappointment does not simply come about, but instead, is a result of an action. She thought that though we can all be disappointed in someone, the disappointment came from the love and care we have for that person. One would not waste their time being disappointed if they did not love the person in question. She was like her mother in wanting everyone to use their heart to their advantage and use disappointment to teach a lesson instead of harsh words. The quote from Dr. King goes along with one of Lily’s favorite quotes, “One cannot love, unless it is at their own expense,” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences - Moreau FYE Week Seven). She loved so many people, and she knew this quote to be very true. If you knew Lily, you know that she was a family woman. With her caring for others, Lily also prayed for them. She was known for her mindful practice of praying the Rosary (“Ways to Practice Mindfulness” by McDonald Center for Student Well-being - Moreau FYE Two Week Six). She used much of her time to give to others. She spent much of her life – starting from her teenage years – volunteering, especially in food shelves and food banks. As an engineer, Lily always felt like she was giving a hand to anyone who was using a product her work was involved in. Notre Dame tells people in their first year that, “There are so many career paths and industries out there that it’s best not to limit yourself too much right off the bat,” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Two Week Four). Lily took this to heart and ran with the idea. Her major was the most broad option in the engineering field. She was fond of this because she felt like she would be flexible enough to switch things up much later in life if needed. She ended up working exactly where she had dreamt of. All of her hard work paid off in the end. Lily found such great happiness in her day-to-day life. She lived by her mother’s two-word, easy to remember advice, “Choose happiness.” The happiness Lily chose came from every little aspect of her life. She knew that, “Half the confusion in the world comes from not knowing how little we need,” ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer, TED - Moreau FYE Two Week One). Lily always liked to stop and think about the gifts she had received. She was always thankful for what she had, even if deep down she wanted more. She knew the importance of being grateful for what you have been given. She said her life would be well lived if she had few regrets. Everything happens for a https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEXhurkurERNVdy8sgNwZaAKTAr-385q/view?usp=sharing https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ reason, and if life didn’t go the way it did, with all its ups and downs, she would not have become who she was. Lily’s life was inspiring. Let us offer a moment of silence in honor of her life. May we all use Lily as a role model for how we too can live a lovely life. Thank you. Works Cited ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer, TED - Moreau FYE Two Week One) ("Hesburgh" Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Two Week Two) ("Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die" by Ruth Graham, NY Times - Moreau FYE Two Week Three) (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Two Week Four) (Phone Interview with Pat Lorenson by - Moreau FYE Two Week Five) (“Ways to Practice Mindfulness” by McDonald Center for Student Well-being - Moreau FYE Two Week Six). (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences - Moreau FYE Week Seven). https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEXhurkurERNVdy8sgNwZaAKTAr-385q/view?usp=sharing https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript