Wilcutt 1 Megan Wilcutt Michael Comuniello Moreau First-Year Experience 4 March 2022 The Lesson of Being a Rock From the moment she was born, it was clear that Megan was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Stealing the spotlight by being born on the same day as her sister, everyone knew that the last and fourth addition to the Wilcutt family was going to be one to keep an eye on. Growing up in St. Louis, Megan proved everyone right. She constantly was a ball of energy, wanting to do everything under the sun. From trying out soccer to debate, Megan had a zest for trying new things even though it was quite clear her athletic ability was never going to be a strong suit. With this energy though, Megan graduated from St. Peter at the top of her class and headed off to high school, following two of her sister’s and her own mother’s footsteps heading to St. Joe. At St. Joe, Megan made even more of a stir than in grade school. There, she started making what St. Joe likes to call a “profound impact in the world”. She found passions, starting a club supporting the mental health of students that persists today, founding a youth city council that was adopted into Kirkwood law, and even graduating number one in her class. Above all these things though, Megan spent her St. Joe years finding the best friends of her life. A group of six girls that have remained together throughout the years because as their class quote said, “Side by side or miles apart, we are sisters connected at heart.” Even when college separated them to all ends of the country, their friendship prevailed. When parting ways, Megan made her way to the University of Notre Dame, once again following in her family’s footsteps, this time her grandfather’s. Growing up, Megan had visited the school countless times, at least three times a year, while visiting her grandparents. Yet, the school took on a new meaning when becoming a student. Megan majored in political science, with a minor in sociology, a path that absolutely suited her passions. With this degree, Megan made her way to law school at Georgetown University, becoming a pro bono criminal defense attorney. She always said, “Everybody deserves someone in their corner.” She was that person for all of her clients and everyone in her life. She was the type of person anyone could go to for anything. She was a cheerleader when one needed inspiration and a shoulder to cry on when one needed support. Despite Megan’s enormous triumphs in her career and educational life, she always knew that family above all else was the single most important thing to her. Megan grew up in an open door house, anybody and everybody walking in at any given time to stop by, both real family and the family that you choose, your friends. On any given day, Megan would walk down the stairs and find at least two of her aunts laughing over a bottle of wine with her mom. Megan adopted this policy into her own home. She fostered the relationships in her life just as she saw her parents when she was young. And just like her mom would always tell her, Megan never left anybody without saying, “love you like a rock.” Whenever Megan said that phrase, I never quite understood it, but as we sit here today, I finally know what she meant. A rock is solid, unable to be broken. As many times as you try to break it, it will persist and stay whole. It can be leaned upon by others. Megan was and will always continue to be a rock for all of us. She leaves behind this message for us to go out into the world and be that rock for somebody else. Smile at the stranger on the street. Stick up for those who have nobody on their side. Give back to those who are not as fortunate as you. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Never let anyone forget you love them like a rock. My Definition of a Life Well-Lived Over the course of the semester, my thoughts on a life well-lived have truly been reexamined fully and evolved into what I now believe. I came into this semester thinking of a life well-lived only in positive terms; I thought of happiness, but in general terms. While happiness is undoubtedly a part of a life well-lived, there is so much more that goes into my new definition of a life well-lived that this semester thus far has taught me. Living a life well-lived is to experience both happiness and suffering. The Hesburgh documentary we watched said, “In my faith you learn there’s meaning in suffering, but to truly understand that you have to first suffer yourself” ("Hesburgh" by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). Everybody wants to go through life escaping all pain. Yet, you need to experience both the highs and lows of life to fully live. The lows in life, however unpleasant, must be embraced as they reveal parts of ourselves that we otherwise would never know existed. In those moments of trying times, it might be hard to realize that suffering is part of the journey to a life well-lived. But, “It’s only by stepping farther back and standing still that we can begin to see what that canvas (which is our life) really means, and to take in the larger picture” ("Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives" by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). To live a life well-lived, you must remember that there is always a larger picture than the current experience you are facing. The hardships also serve to remind us that even the little things are highs. For, “Every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not!” ("Navigating Your Career Journey" by the Meruelo Career Center - Moreau FYE Week Four). During Week 6, we watched a video about Jihoon Kim who adopted this mindset. Jihoon Kim was paralyzed from a snowboarding accident, yet instead of accepting a pessimistic view of life, he realized that life is not about what you can’t do but what you can. He emphasized that suffering taught him more than it ever inhibited him (“5 Minutes” by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Six). Watching him reinforced in me that we have the choice in life to how we react to things. We can face hardship and choose to be passive, let it happen to us and foster resentment against life, or we can embrace it head on, accepting the opportunity to grow and learn. This mindset I now believe is essential to living a life well-lived This outlook can be applied to both personal and professional relationships in a life-well lived. For a life well-lived, it is important to find a passion in the professional field and hone in on it. Coming into Notre Dame, I looked around at all these talented people and saw each person already having a designated plan for their life. They knew what they wanted to do, and how to get there exactly. This made me feel like I was behind schedule, but when talking to my mom during week five, I realized I’m right where I need to be. Each person’s journey to a life well-lived is different. Nobody has to have their whole life planned out to continue on their journey, rather as my mom explained it’s more about what’s in their heart that matters most ("Discernment Conversation Activity" - Moreau FYE Week Five). Above all else, this semester has taught me that “Life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions” ("Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone" by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). To me, relationships are the biggest signifier of a life well-lived. Before this class, my initial definition of a life well-lived centered around the traditional version of success, but now it’s shifted to having successful relationships. Life is about the people you meet along the way, those who change your life and those whose lives you change. When I leave this earth, I want to be remembered for the immense love and gratitude I had for my family, friends, and even strangers on the street. These little or deep relationships constitute a life well-lived. Lastly, I’ve learned that part of living a life well-lived is embracing that someday it has to end. Death is always something I’ve feared, but now there is a bit of comfort associated with its inevitability. For, “Remembering death keeps us awake, focused, and ready for whatever might happen — both the excruciatingly difficult and the breathtakingly beautiful” (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week 3). Death serves as the purpose for living a life well-lived. Without death, life would have no meaning. Wilcutt 1 Megan Wilcutt Michael Comuniello Moreau First - Year Experience 4 March 2022 The Lesson of Being a Rock From the moment she was born, it was clear that Megan was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Stealing the spotlight by being born on the same day as her sister, everyone knew that the last and fourth addition to the Wilcutt family was going to be one to keep an eye on. Growing up in St. Louis, Megan proved everyone right. She constantly was a ball of energy, wanting to do everything under the sun. From trying out soccer to debate, Megan had a zest for trying new things even though it was quite clear her athletic ability was never going t o be a strong suit. With this energy though, Megan graduated from St. Peter at the top of her class and headed off to high school, following two of her sister’s and her own mother’s footsteps heading to St. Joe. At St. Joe, Megan made even more of a stir than in grade school. There, she started making what St. Joe likes to call a “profound impact in the world”. She found passions, starting a club supporting the mental health of students that persists today, founding a youth city council that was adopted in to Kirkwood law, and even graduating number one in her class. Above all these things though, Megan spent her St. Joe years finding the best friends of her life. A group of six girls that have remained together throughout the years because as their class qu ote said, “Side by side or miles apart, we are sisters connected at heart.” Even when college separated them to all ends of the country, their friendship prevailed. Wilcutt 1 Megan Wilcutt Michael Comuniello Moreau First-Year Experience 4 March 2022 The Lesson of Being a Rock From the moment she was born, it was clear that Megan was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Stealing the spotlight by being born on the same day as her sister, everyone knew that the last and fourth addition to the Wilcutt family was going to be one to keep an eye on. Growing up in St. Louis, Megan proved everyone right. She constantly was a ball of energy, wanting to do everything under the sun. From trying out soccer to debate, Megan had a zest for trying new things even though it was quite clear her athletic ability was never going to be a strong suit. With this energy though, Megan graduated from St. Peter at the top of her class and headed off to high school, following two of her sister’s and her own mother’s footsteps heading to St. Joe. At St. Joe, Megan made even more of a stir than in grade school. There, she started making what St. Joe likes to call a “profound impact in the world”. She found passions, starting a club supporting the mental health of students that persists today, founding a youth city council that was adopted into Kirkwood law, and even graduating number one in her class. Above all these things though, Megan spent her St. Joe years finding the best friends of her life. A group of six girls that have remained together throughout the years because as their class quote said, “Side by side or miles apart, we are sisters connected at heart.” Even when college separated them to all ends of the country, their friendship prevailed.