Intergation 3 Professor Polotto Moreau FYE Integration 3 March 4, 2022 My Sister’s Life Well Lived Kristi Eve Murphy-Iaquinta, my big sister, was born on December 24th, 1980. From then on she has strived to live the best life possible. Growing up, she developed many goals and aspirations that gave her a special spark. She has always strived for the best, despite hardships, and, overtime, has become the best, most influential big sister. Kristi is selfless and kind. She has lived her whole life that way. She has definitely created a life well lived. Since I can remember, I have always strived to be just like my sister Kristi. She did sports like gymnastics and cheer when she was young and on top of that, she graduated high school to continue her studies at Notre Dame. Only a few days after I was born, Kristi graduated from Notre Dame. I am so lucky to have experienced how amazing she is as she teaches me to be the best version of myself. Not only has she accomplished so much, but her life has been enjoyable at the same time. Through her enjoyment of life, Kritsti has positively impacted the lives of others, including myself. To be honest, as I’m writing this, I wonder if I am the best person to summarize my sister’s life. I’ve only known her since she was 22. I missed a whole half of her life. It is like she's a legend to me; I get to hear all the stories of her youth as if they are old tales. One story about Kristi that is most memorable is her time in gymnastics. My other sister Coreen who is a year younger than Kristi was an amazing gymnast like my mom. She was on the national team competing for Team USA and was preparing for the Olympics. Naturally, Kristi wanted to be a gymnast too. Gymnastics wasn’t as easy for Kristi. Kristi would get so nervous before meets that she would throw up every time. In gymnastics it is clear that “there’s no questioning the need for clarity and focus, especially when the stakes are highest.”. (Why We Need to Slow Down in Our Lives - Moreau Week 1). Stakes were high for Kristi, but she knew she needed to slow down. Without taking something off her plate, she wouldn’t be able to find clarity or focus. Therefore, Kristi quit gymnastics. It was honorable of her to listen to herself. She knew what she needed to do to make her life the most enjoyable it could be. I admire this about Kristi. As Kristi got older, my family realized that she was truly brilliant. Much like the Domer Dozen from week two of Moreau, Kristi went on to be a successful Notre Dame grad. Like Dr. Claire Conely from the Domer Dozen, Kristi was “a psychology major at Notre Dame” and also pursued a minor in computer science (Domer Dozen- Moreau FYE week 2). Like myself, Kristi had a hard time adjusting to life at Notre Dame. Although our grandparents live in South Bend, Kristi and I both felt homesick. Eventually though, much like Sister Aletheia, Kristi looked for her purpose at Notre Dame asking, “Where am I headed, where do I want to end up” (Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die - Moreau FYE Week 3). This forward thinking mindset allowed Kristi to realize that Notre Dame was the foundation for her future and that she needed to see it through. She knew that Notre Dame would jump-start her career and that “Planning your career is much like planning for a trip”; it takes lots of effort and planning but the destination is worth it (Navigating Your Career Journey- Moreau FYE Week 4). Kristi’s destination sure was worth it. She went on to work in psychology in Chicago and make a good living. Later she decided to leave psychology behind and pursue a career in social media and blogging. She became very successful making appearances in magazines like Bon Appetit. Kristi’s journey at Notre Dame and beyond are part of the reason I chose to go to Notre Dame. https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/35977/modules/items/146843 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/35977/modules/items/146843 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/35977/modules/items/146897 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/35977/modules/items/147000 After Kristi became established, she began to settle down. She bought a house close to us in Arizona and had a long term boyfriend. Soon enough, she was engaged. She had a longer engagement taking time for “self reflection” which is important to create a life well lived (The Right Way to be Introspective - Moreau FYE Week 6). With her history at Notre Dame, it was important to Kristi to be married in the Basilica at Notre Dame. She went through this whole process to reserve a spot at the basilica and it was so exciting. Experiencing this was another point of inspiration for me. Her experience gave me something to look forward to. After getting married, Kristi started to have kids. She became the best mom because she did and still is “Bridging the gulf of mutual judgment and replacing it with kinship” when it comes to parenting (Tattoos on the Heart-Moreau FYE week 7). I admire her as a mother and as a sister and her parenting makes me excited to be a mom. Kristi enhances her life and those of me and her kids through her lack of judgment and generosity. Even after Notre Dame, my sister Kristi has continued to manifest a life well lived. In conclusion, my sister Kristi is a true example of how to create a life well lived. She has accomplished many things while maintaining her character. In addition, she continues to be an inspiration to many, including me. When I feel like I don’t have a good idea of how to create a life well lived, I look towards my sister. She has accomplished so much and her life isn’t over yet. She possesses all the qualities of one who creates a life well lived. Kristi lacks judgment, she slows down when she needs to, she reflects on where she is headed and she positively impacts others while doing it. I can’t explain enough how thankful I am to have such an amazing sister to look up to. While I can’t write my own eulogy yet, I hope when I am at that place one day some of my sister's strengths are included. https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/35977/modules/items/147135 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/35977/modules/items/147135 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/35977/files/523831?module_item_id=167962