Integration Three


A Life Well-lived, a Life Unforgotten
I was born on June 27, 2003 to my parents, Adriene and John Brumbaugh. I was the

oldest of three girls. I grew up in a relatively small town, and from as far back as I can
remember, always felt a strong connection to my family. My maternal grandparents lived a mere
one minute down the street so many hours were spent at their house being spoiled and doted
on. (“Why We Need To Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One) I learned
many life-long lessons from my grandparents, including how to "stop and smell the roses. This
was my grandma's favorite saying and she taught me how to appreciate the little things in life.
No matter how much work she had in store that day, she always took time to sit in her garden to
appreciate her beautiful flowers. Together we would drink lemonade and chat about anything
and everything under the sun. In a world that always seemed to be in a rush, it was nice to be
able to relish in our time together and clear the mind. It always made my chores less daunting
as I knew that eventually a well-earned break was coming. My grandmother shared her love of
life with me and taught me how to enjoy every second of it.(“Why the only future worth building
includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven) One of the things
that I am most proud of in my life is that I learned from an early age the importance of helping
others. As our lives come to an end, I can bet a pretty penny that no one will ever lay on their
deathbed regretting doing too much charity work. Helping others, in my opinion, is one of the
best ways to get closer to God. As a young girl, my family would go to the nursing home to visit
residents and bring them a little bit of joy. Many of them had no family left and I distinctly
remember feeling great sorrow as we walked in the homes and saw such sadness on the
resident's faces. It didn't take long for them to start smiling when my mom would pull out a deck
of cards or bingo to get a game started. In those moments, I felt closer to God then I ever knew
was possible. As a child, all I knew was that I was happy to see the smiles and the laughter
coming from the residents, however, as I got older I realized what we were really providing for
them was hope. As long as you have hope, you can get through anything. I am grateful that my
parents were able to instill in my sisters and I the importance of not only having hope but also
giving hope. It is the greatest gift one could give a person. Showing love to those who are less
fortunate is a wonderful way to live your life. (The right way to be introspective (yes, there’s a
wrong way) by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week Six) As I became older and entered high
school, I started to become stressed out from homework and normal teenage life. Asking myself
"why" was a habit that I unfortunately fell into. If I got a bad grade, I would ask myself why? If I
didn't come get hired at the local mall, I would ask myself why? It took me longer than I care to
admit but I was finally able to understand that asking "why" was not helpful or beneficial in my
growth. I may have spent too much time dwelling on things in my life that were out of my control
but I feel proud that I eventually learned to start asking "what" as a better alternative. Asking
myself what I could have done better to receive a better grade on my next test was much more
useful than only concentrating on the negative. Once I learned to ask better questions of myself,
I became less stressed and had lower anxiety. This is very valuable information that I believe
should be ingrained in children so they can hopefully learn to be kinder to themselves.
(“Navigating Your Career Journey - Moreau First Year Experience Course” - Moreau FYE Week
Four) I was lucky to have been accepted into Notre Dame after working very hard and making
sacrifices in high school. I made several good friends which is always nice when you are a
homesick freshman. I learned many life long lessons during my time at school. One of the most

https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/
https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript
https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript
https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/
https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/


important lessons I learned, in regards to my chosen major, was to not worry too much about my
chosen major. This was a great relief because working about whether you made the right
decision regarding your path in life can be downright scary. I would like to share with you all
what I have taken away from my own experience, in hopes of helping you with your own
journey. When you are navigating your career, make sure to keep an open mind! I was taught at
Notre Dame to search within to understand my values, interests, personality and skills. Don't be
afraid to try new things. I joined a couple clubs and pushed myself out of my comfort zone.
Once I did some soul searching, I was able to figure out what I really wanted to do with the rest
of my life. I cannot put into words how much this shaped the person I would become. I utilized
every opportunity that was given to me and tried to make good choices along the way. It was
important to me to be able to do what I love while also making a difference in the
world(“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). One way to
ensure this is to ask yourself three important questions, “Is this a source of joy? Is this
something that taps into your talents and gifts—engages all of your abilities—and uses them in
the fullest way possible? Is this role a genuine service to the people around you, to society at
large?” (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). The first
question, “Is this a source of joy?”, determines whether the decision will make you live a happier
life. The second question, “Is this something that taps into your talents and gifts and uses them
in the fullest way possible?”, determines whether the decision will make use of more of your
potential than you were using before. The third question, “Is this role a genuine service to the
people around you, to society at large?”, determines whether this decision will be beneficial and
meaningful to others. Sometimes the answers to these questions are hard to find out on your
own. There are many things that you might not realize about yourself that others can notice
more easily. If you have conversations with those closest to you, then you will be able to
understand yourself and how others see you better. (Moreau Discernment Conversation Activity
- Moreau FYE Week Five).

https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40388/files/473345?module_item_id=147866
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit