A Mother’s Farewell
First of all, I would like to thank everyone for being here today to honor the life of Katie. She had an impact on all of our lives, even if it was small, and her unbreakable spirit will forever be remembered. As a mother, it is my job to teach my kids life lessons, but Katie would teach me some. In her short eighteen years on this earth, she taught me more than I would have ever believed she would. She was the kind of person everyone loved to be around. I loved how she always wanted to go on adventures and try new things, something I could definitely take notes on and just how she truly loved life. She loved meeting and getting to know new people and hanging out with friends and family. As a mother, it is the hardest thing to lose your child, but I am grateful to have had eighteen years with her.
	Katie was always extremely motivated. Whether it was in her gymnastics career, academics, or volunteering, she worked extremely hard all the time. She loved to keep herself busy, always wanting to be doing something. Sometimes her busy schedule caused her stress, but she would never want to take a break. I would tell her these are the times we need breaks the most. Stress is contagious and I would tell her that if she took a break now, she would be more productive later. (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Lyer- Moreau FYE Week One). “But I can’t fall behind,” she would complain, which made me laugh because I knew how she never wanted to fall behind. However, she would eventually listen and feel better after. I admired her incredible work ethic.
	Katie loved to live in the moment, but she also always liked to have plans. For example if we were going on vacation, she wanted to know what activities we were doing each day, what restaurants we were going to each night, etc. She would have her life mapped out, but if she ever decided she wanted to change these plans, she was able to redirect. When she thought about the direction of where her life was headed, she believed that whatever she was doing should bring her joy, it should tap into her talents and gifts, and should be a genuine service to the people around her (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes- Moreau FYE Week Three). Now she didn’t strictly apply these questions to everything she did, but they were a general guide that helped her realize where she wanted her life to go.
	As most of you would know, Katie took a lot of pride in her academics and studied at the University of Notre Dame. She was planning to eventually go to physical therapy school and wanted to work for a pro/college sports team or Team USA. This wasn’t a random decision, Katie was inspired to go into physical therapy from gymnastics. Always having to go to doctors appointments and physical therapy she’s light into those careers for her and piqued her interest. She took all the AP science classes she could, shadowed a physical therapist, and was majoring in science-business and minoring in compassionate care in medicine at Notre Dame (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development- Moreau FYE Week Four). Sadly, she was taken too soon and was never able to achieve her career goal, however I know if she could have, she would. 
	While Katie lived a busy life, she was very in touch with herself and was a big advocate of mindfulness. When life got stressful, she loved to meditate. It always calmed and centered her (“Ways to Practice Mindfulness” by the McDonald Center for Student Well-being- Moreau FYE Week Six). 
	Katie truly valued the relationships in her life. She was a people person and would do anything for her friends and family. She truly believed that all people are connected and need to support each other. (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis- Moreau FYE Week Seven). Katie thought that no matter what, everybody has something in common and can put their differences aside and work together to build a better future. (“Hesburgh” Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley- Moreau FYE Week 2).
Katie and I were very close. As a mother, I was lucky enough to have a daughter that I could enjoy life with. We loved to go shopping, get massages, enjoy the beach, and go out to dinner together. I just loved spending time with her, and it was sad not having her home when she went to college. We still talked on the phone, but I missed her. I remember one day she called me about an assignment. She asked me some deep questions about herself and we had a conversation about them. These questions included asking about what social issues were most important, what she values in life, and some others (Conversation Guide- Moreau FYE Week Five). We had never really discussed these things, but actually talking about them really showed me what an incredible young woman she had turned into. 
	We were all blessed to have met Katie and she will truly be missed. She was a beautiful person inside and out and was taken from us too soon. We cannot bring her back, but we can keep her memory alive, so I encourage everyone to take the values that Katie believed in and apply them to your life. Talk to a new person, go on an adventure, and try a new thing. Katie is survived by her mother, Suzanne, her father, Josh, and her brother, Matthew. She was truly a force for good in this world and while she was only with us for eighteen years, she lived an incredibly fulfilling life. Thank you all for coming to the service, we are grateful to have all of you in our lives and your support means so much to us.