We are gathered here today to celebrate the beautiful, magnificent life of . She was loved by many, and was a kind soul who lived a great life. The most important thing about her life was not how many people she reached, but how impactful she was with the ones she did. She was dedicated to her work, as well as those around her, which is something that I believe to be very difficult, something many people only dream of being able to do. 
In her lifetime she worked to further understand the brain and its functions. She loved truly loved her job, she “also view[ed] studying what you love as highly practical”  and thus concluded that it just made sense that she should devote her time to something she cared so much about (Week 4: "Navigating Your Career Journey” (Meruelo Family Center for Career Development). However, this is not to say that she didn’t struggle at times. She understood that 
“each and everyone’s existence is deeply tied to that of others” and, I believe this is in part what allowed her to lead such a good life (Week 7:  “Why the only future worth building includes everyone” (His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences ). She cared about her work, due to the details as well as the bigger picture of it. She wanted to create a community of caring individuals, and did this by surrounding herself with those who loved her the way she loved them. 
She was an amazing friend in so many aspects, understanding that each person is different and unique in their own way. She wanted people to be happy, and many times put others before herself in order to achieve this. When giving advice she knew that “we need to see others as other people! Not to project on them what we would like if we were in their shoes because we are not in their shoes” (Week 3: "Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die" (Ruth Graham, NY Times)). She knew that we couldn’t simply change people and force them to be who we wanted them to be. Each person has their own perspectives and values which impact the way that they act. Everyone is uniquely different, yet “each and everyone’s existence is deeply tied to that of others” (Week 7:  “Why the only future worth building includes everyone” (His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences). Her understanding of this allowed her to have such a positive impact on so many people’s lives. I remember in one conversation with her she told me how she “strive[s] for self-growth, as well as being more empathic. [She] like[s] to see new perspectives on things and offer advice” (Week 5: A conversation with a friend). She was constantly working on deeper understanding of herself, which in turn allowed her to be more in tune with others. 
She was someone who loved just as easily as she forgave them. She sometimes struggled with understanding why when people would repeatedly end up hurting her, which is something that at some point proved difficult for her. She would sometimes feel like the world was against her. I even remember telling her one time, “If you ask why, you’re putting yourself into a victim mentality” perhaps you will be able to resolve this issue (Week 6: “The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s a Wrong Way)” (Tasha Eurich, TED Conferences)). She really took this to heart I think, because she realized that often, she only saw the good in people. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and I think she realized that too.
One of the best things about Bridget though, was her ability to have fun, and live in the moment. 
 Of course, when the time came to be serious she was, but when it was time for a day off, she was able to enjoy it stress free, and in turn help others enjoy it too. She viewed days off as “the one day a week we take off becomes a vast empty space through which we can wander, without agenda” and treated them accordingly (Week 1: "Why we need to slow down our lives" (Pico Iyer, TED). 
She looked up to many people, whether they were directly in her life, or were larger well known figures. She recognized Father Hesburgh as a great person who she wished to have similar attributes to. She said his approach to life is inspiring since “as far as the Catholic Church goes, he was a big of a renegade to rules. He used common sense” (Week 2: "Hesburgh" (Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley)). She also looked up to her father and his work ethic. She hoped she one day would be like him, and in many ways she was, but her differences from him made her an even better person because they made her who she was.
 was a bubbly, exciting spirit and I consider it an honor to have known her and been able to consider myself one of her friends. While her time on this earth was fleeting, it was one of great importance. She may not be remembered throughout history for creating a revolution, or halting a war, but she will live on eternally in our memories, which was all she ever really wished for. I recall talking with her about death on a few occasions, and the thought of it was never something that scared her. She was wise in that she was aware of reality, aware of how small and insignificant we all are in this universe. She recognized that the world and the universe itself is much greater than many realize. However, this fact did not cause her fear or despair, but rather the opposite. By recognizing how small we really were, she was able to appreciate the little things in life, believing that at the end of the day, that was all we really had. This life could easily be seen as meaningless when looking at the bigger picture, but she recognized that the reason things were important is because we give them meaning. We choose our path by discerning what we find as important and what we put our time and energy towards. Her ability to recognize this allowed her to become the amazing person that we remember her as.