FYE Moreau: Integration 3 The Fall of the Swag Master Death is something that we are not foreign to, but it is something that we rarely discuss. Over the course of our life, we have all been, well at least supposed to have been, striving to achieve one common goal: Heaven. We are supposed to be working as a community, hand in hand, hoping that one day we can make it. It is easy to acknowledge that yes this is the goal, however, how do we actually get there? We must stop and think, have we actually lived a life well lived? Grace was a kind spirit. She was involved in a multitude of activities in her lifetime. She played three sports, balanced a social life, and still maintained good grades. She was actively involved in the Church and attended weekly mass. One thing that she failed to do was slow down. She was constantly seen going from one place to another with little time to think about her emotional well being. She always focused on making other people happy and as a result she failed to do the same for herself. An important quote that I believe everyone needs to hear is that “It’s precisely those who are the busiest who most need to give themselves a break” (“Why We Need To Slow Down” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). We need to understand that always having a crammed schedule is not the best thing we can do for ourselves. It is okay to give yourself a break once in a while. Although Grace spent little time focusing on herself, she did always try to put others first. She hated confrontation, but disliked more when people were upset. It pained her to see the people she cared about in conflict with one another. Grace made it her goal to end the issue and bring those people back together because at the end of the day. In life, crossroads “are where the differences of culture, religion and conviction can coexist with friendship, civility, hospitality and especially love '' (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2). As the mediator of her friends, she used her humor to end strife between the groups. 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 Another thing she struggled with, is not knowing what she wanted to do in life. However, I argue that this is not a bad thing. In our society there “ seems to be this commonly held belief in our society that a major equals a certain career path.” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Moreau First Year Experience Course - Moreau FYE Week Four). We are told we need to have everything figured out at certain points in life, but that is simply not true. I wish she knew that she did not need to put so much pressure on this idea that we need to know everything about our future. All we really need is to focus on what makes us happy and pursue that path in our journey. One big attribute of Grace was that she was a big family girl. Her mom even “said that what she thinks I value most in life is family and what I desire most in life is to be successful” (Moreau Week 5). Family was a big part of her life. She loved her mom and sister so much that she would have done absolutely anything for them. Most siblings have rivalries and are in constant conflict with one another. This was quite the opposite for Grace and Sophia. Her sister was her best friend. Nothing brought her more happiness than being with her other half, Sophia. One thing that was extremely important in Grace’s life was volunteering. She spent a lot of time volunteering at food pantries and participating in organizations such as Best Buddies. Furthermore, it is important to start focusing “on what we can do for others or what we can do already instead of what we cannot do and what we do not have yet” (“5 Minutes: a Grotto Short Film” by Jihoon Kim - Moreau FYE week 6). I believe a lot of us fail to realize sometimes. We can get so caught up in all the negative things and all the https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/ limitations in our lives that we forget to look at what we are actually capable of. Grace made sure to put a lot of emphasis on service of others which is something that we can all follow in suit of. Not only was she active in the service life, but she was also hopeful. You might be asking yourself what exactly is hope? Hope is “the virtue of a heart that doesn't lock itself into darkness, that doesn't dwell on the past, does not simply get by in the present, but is able to see a tomorrow” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week 7). Hope is not something that we had to disregard the issues we face in the world and naively wish for things to be better. Rather it means that we need to acknowledge these things, but know that there is always another day that we can go out and make a difference in this world. It also does not require every single person, but rather one person that can ignite a cascade of events sparking hope in others. Grace was hopeful of many things. She always was seeking the best in people and praying to God when seemed to have no light at the end of the tunnel. Life is such a beautiful gift that we sometimes take for granted. We need to start “appreciating the present and focus on the future” (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You To Remember You Will Die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week 3). We need to be living in the moment rather than worrying about all the what-ifs in life. If we are so caught up in all the negativity in the world then we can never truly enjoy life to the fullest, living a proper life well lived. https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html