SP Intg 5: Prompt 1
Prompt 1
I am the type of person that experiences spirituality and religion through those around me, most especially in my friends. They are the people who are always there for me and support me, and it is when I am with them and feel their love that I am able to find the image of God within them and understand God’s love. A big part of my spirituality is connected to my religion because of this. In this way, I believe that my ability to find love and God in others helps me to experience the Holy Cross Pillars of Family and Zeal. At Notre Dame, I have truly found a family, which is manifested best in two of my best friends here: Fiona and Lia. These two people in my life that I found here have been such a blessing. We have been together from the start, and I have found that when it comes to relationships, it is the one that I have with these two girls that gives me the most understanding of what it means to live out the pillar of family. We all support each other in what can be this new and confusing environment. Whenever I need someone to talk to, I know that I can rely on Lia, and I can rely on Fiona to give me hugs, ice cream, and some laughs. For Lia and Fiona, I am someone who listens to them and gives advice. We are all three different parts that come together in a unique way to make the bonds that hold together our friendship. In a way, it’s similar to how each person has different parts that all contribute to one body in Christ. Additionally, I see zeal in this relationship, which then aids my spirituality because I find this friendship to be a healthy choice. I am with people who support and encourage me, not people who drag me down, so I gain many positive things like emotional security, confidence, and support through the relationship. This friendship is one of kinship, and one of showing compassion to others as Father Greg Boyle suggests in ‘Voices from Faith Traditions”, which then helps me to become a better person and feel compelled to work on my spirituality. In the future, I hope to keep developing my spirituality and friendship, but also understand how to see the image of God more in others, not just those who I am close to and who are my friends.
SP Intg 5: Prompt 2
Prompt 2
After a difficult eighth grade experience with bullying, I became a very insecure person and could not find as much value in myself as I had previously seen despite doing well in film, with grades, with extracurricular activities etc. It was this lack of seeing value in myself that caused me to struggle with self-compassion. Throughout high school, I was challenged to move on from this experience, and realized when I came to college that I still struggled with this challenge. This made for a tough first semester, but I am happy to say that this second semester I have found what makes me happy: giving. So, I have worked on mind a lot when it comes to the pillars: trying to understand why things have happened, finding my deeper purpose, and reflecting on the things that have affected me. I’m doing it by getting involved. I started teaching with Take Ten and have a second and fourth grade class at elementary schools in South Bend. It is in teaching and giving my time to these students that I feel the happiest a lot of times. It is in giving the gift I have for teaching and mentoring that I feel happy, and therefore receive so much from the students; sometimes much needed energy, a smile, or remembering what it’s like to be a kid. Additionally, I see the pillar of heart in teaching because it is a service to others and also, one of my values is using my gifts and experiences to help others learn. When I am giving to others, whether through teaching, making films, or serving at mass, I feel happiest, and find value in myself, which then helps me to be more self compassionate. Being more self-compassionate has made me a happier person, and has also made me a more vulnerable person. I accept all of the emotions I have, and work towards understanding that any negative ones I experience do not affect the good I have in my life and the good I can do for others. Like Brown suggested in her conceptualization of vulnerability, I feel “just so grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means I’m alive”, and also so happy because I can see the change I can make in the world. In the future, I want to continue teaching, and have ideas for new ways to teach films and teach younger students film, because I believe it is so important to learn how to tell a story in your eyes and own perspective. I hope to continue with Take Ten and find more ways on campus, whether through film, my actions, or other opportunities I have, to teach others.