Castillo_S2_Integration3_Week8 Castillo 1 Vanessa Chan Moreau March 4, 2022 Living Her Own Life: A Life That Was Shaped by Others . When describing her role, people would call her a leader, musician, teammate, engineer, daughter, sister, and friend. Most people would describe her as a really nice girl, friendly, very quiet, definitely an introvert. Yet to those who really knew her, the words sarcastic and fun definitely come to mind when thinking about her. She strove to live her best life every day, centering her entire life and daily activities around God. Kateri was filled with a “joy [that] comes from within” (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes – Moreau FYE Week Three). There would always be a smile on her face, especially when she was around her friends. Sometimes it would be this mischievous smile that made you wonder what she was thinking of at the moment but usually it was just filled with pure joy. There would be times when I would be walking around with her, and a smile would just light up her face. When I would ask her about it at that moment, she would turn around with a completely straight face and act as if she did not hear the question. Later in life, she revealed that during those moments, she was just thanking God for the people she was with and laughing with Him about the way He brought these friends into her life. But she had been embarrassed to share earlier because of how much her thoughts at the moment would reveal about her and our friendship. She was “able to find people who inspire[d]” her, resulting in her being “just fine” throughout life ("Domer Dozen" by Dr. Austin Hickman – Moreau FYE Week Two). She would claim that those people helped to inspire her to become a better person each day. Her parents Castillo 2 taught her to work hard and stay strong in her Catholic faith. Her siblings helped her to think outside of herself, become a leader and be the best older sister they could ever have. Her friends were there for her through thick and thin. They inspired her in college to work hard and keep her faith. They also helped her to keep God present in all of her daily activities. Kateri was a hard worker…though she found herself more productive when she studied with friends who held her accountable. She was a busy woman who knew how to get stuff done. She would be the one person people would rely on to get a job done. And she would do it with a smile on her face and a little prayer to God. As I mentioned earlier, she found herself more productive in her studies when she was with her friends. Yet she also realized that when she intentionally set just ten minutes of her time for God, God gave her the time she needed to be productive. She noted that “the more time [she spent] away from [her] work, the better that work [was], most often” ("Why We Need To Slow Down Our Lives" by Pico Iyer – Moreau FYE Week One). So, she made sure that she always spent at least ten minutes with God and spent quality time with her friends and family. When she first mentioned spending ten minutes with God and going to Mass every day, I thought, good for her. I really valued how strong she was in her faith. Yet, as I learned, “every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not” (“Navigating Your Career Journey - Moreau First Year Experience Course” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development – Moreau FYE Week Four). Her brief mentioning of her habits of going to Mass every day and spending at least ten minutes with Jesus really stuck with me. Even though it came up so casually in conversation, she inspired me to practice my faith more and for that I am eternally grateful. I just wish I had told her all of this before, but I am sure that God told her when they were reunited. Kateri once told me that she was thankful for the many deep conversations we had had. Castillo 3 Perhaps it was due to her indecisiveness or maybe her stubbornness, but she always had trouble admitting stuff to herself. But she said that her conversations with me helped her to admit stuff to herself (Moreau FYE Week Five). For example, for the longest time she would not admit to herself that she liked this guy even though I noticed it, quite obviously, before her. But eventually, she learned to embrace change and said that she attributed it to the many conversations we had, which left me very honored to be her friend. Kateri taught me to not ask myself why otherwise I would be “putting [myself] in a victim mentality” and feeling pretty terrible (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s a Wrong Way)” by Tasha Eurich – Moreau FYE Week Six). She told me that she used to do that all of the time with her siblings, take the blame even when it was not her fault. Whenever she thought about why a certain situation happened, her answer would always be that it was because it was her fault that she did not prevent the situation from happening. And then she would feel bad for herself and forget to think about others. I share this story because she wanted to remind others that we cannot always be the victim and to highlight the fact that she was always striving to become a better person, or in this case, a better sister to her siblings. Her desire to serve others and be a better person for each of the people she encountered was one of the characteristics of Kateri that made her an amazing person. As we were conversing about life in general, she told me that she never would have been able to live the life she lived without all of the people in her life who helped her. She said that if she had just lived life in a very individualistic mindset she would not have had much but by living life with all of the people she encountered she was able to have a “potful of plenty” in life (“Tattoos on the Heart: Chapter 8 - Jurisdiction” by Fr. Greg Boyle – Moreau FYE Week Seven). When I asked her to elaborate, she said that the person she is today is not just because of her but because of all of the people who helped to shape her life. Everyone she encountered helped to Castillo 4 shape her into the person we know her and remember her as today. And she said that it is through all of these people that she was able to live a life well-lived, a life oriented around God and serving others. Though we will all miss Kateri, let us remember her life and her dedication of living life not just for herself but for others. And let us be inspired to follow in her footsteps and live a life filled with joy, friends, family, and God.