Professor Pruitt 
Moreau FYE
23 February 2022
My Eulogy
	I am peacefully reminiscing about my time on Earth from a comfortable rocking chair in a serene, otherworldly location. I carry wisdom from 90 years of successes, failures, discoveries, and joyous moments. Now that my life has come to an end, I have had ample time to reflect on my experiences, and want to share them with my loved ones. I pick up a piece of paper and pen, and write my Eulogy, addressing it to my great-granddaughter – who I was never able to meet.
	Dear Jane,
I want to share with you some of the lessons I have learned in college and the rest of my life now that you are headed off to your first semester at Notre Dame. You must keep in mind how you want to be remembered after you pass, and what impact you want to have on others. First, there is beauty in taking a step back to practice self-reflection. To live a fulfilling life, you must be wary of unnecessary interruptions, as they ultimately take away from cherished moments. Being in constant communication with friends in the college environment can often accelerate our stress – and make us feel like we’re never fully caught up with our lives (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). I often found myself distracted from work, which led to an accumulation of assignments. However, once I made the shift to prioritize and separate work and social time, I was able to achieve a balance. Next, you must remember to appreciate each step of the journey – “The concept [memento mori] is to intentionally think about our own death every day, as a means of appreciating the present and focusing on the future”(“Meet the Nun…” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week 3). In my experience at Notre Dame, I learned to ask myself questions about my personal strengths, and remain in tune with what truly brings me joy. This allowed me to discover my academic passion for medicine. The concept of memento mori reminded me to truly experience every moment, whether it be a trip to the grotto, or a rainy day walk around St. Mary’s. I hope you cherish each of your moments with an awareness that they are finite and that you ask yourself what legacy you want to leave behind.
 Introspection and mindfulness are so vital in this process as well. Once I learned the right way to be introspective, I was able to overcome challenges with less suffering. The “What not Why” approach to dealing with emotions will guide you through many challenges – instead of asking yourself why things are happening to you, shift the question to ask yourself what you can do to create a better situation for yourself (“The Right Way to be Introspective” by Tasha Eurich – Week 6). I used this concept often when taking organic chemistry. Instead of complaining over why I was struggling so much on assignments, I began to focus on what I could do to improve. This small change helped me perform better on tests, and later on in life when I faced challenges in my relationships and career. 
When walking through life, it is important to define the values you want to carry with you to ensure that you are living a life well-lived, and fulfilling all of your goals and passions. Having someone or something that inspires you is so important in driving you forward. When I took Moreau, we looked at success stories of previous Notre Dame graduates, and I was able to see all of the amazing things they did with their educations, and the relationships they established here. One story that particularly stood out to me was Claire Conley’s. She integrated her strong faith into her professional career, which consisted of research in oncology with Notre Dame Professor Thomas Merluzzi (“Domer Dozen”, Claire Conley – Week 2). This account inspired me to get involved in clubs such as Fighting Together, where we help comfort children with cancer. And, through this, I became more aware of the valuable lessons I could draw from my mentors. On a similar note, It is important to explore all of your passions and utilize Notre Dame’s many resources to find a career that speaks to you. Remember that “...the best career choices for a person are those that allow him/her to implement as many parts of his/her self-concept as possible” (“Navigating Your Career Journey”, Meruelo Family Center for Career Development– Week 4). You must go out and experience life to find your passions– this process will take trial and error. You will take classes you don’t enjoy, and go to meetings that you wish you could leave early, but all of these experiences forward your understanding of what your true calling is. During my time in college, I explored different fields in science and business, and after years of taking different courses, and many meetings with my advisor later, I found my calling in medicine and public health. 
Lastly, it is so easy to get caught up in the minute details of our lives. Sometimes we have to take a step back and evaluate where we stand. An important practice in discerning if we are on the right track to leading a well-lived life is to involve our loved ones in our journies. During my freshman year at Notre Dame, I had a conversation with my mother about her interpretation of my greatest values, desires, and passions and what she considers to be my strengths (Discernment Conversation Activity – Week 5). In this conversation, she helped me see that my true calling was in a combination of medicine and public health, as I am very passionate about helping others and combatting the many structural social justice concerns in healthcare. This was one of many conversations I had in my life with loved ones that allowed me to observe where I stand and how I want to move forward. Furthermore, I urge you to cultivate relationships with people outside your immediate sphere of interaction. The relationships we create are arguably the most critical aspect of a life well-lived, and we gain so much from each other’s perspectives. “​​...we all need to see that we are in each other’s “jurisdictions,” spheres of acceptance…And yet, there are lines that get drawn, and barriers erected, meant only to exclude”(Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., Tattoos on the Heart, pg 130 – Week 7). We need to break down these barriers, and never discount anyone as a potential friend – all of the small, unlikely relationships in life play such a central role in our personal development, and ability to live a life well-lived. In college, I made an effort to make friends in all of my classes, even if our relationship only developed to the extent of walking to class together. After college, I moved to a new city and met so many people that became my community. All of these relationships were so enriching in their own unique ways, and I want you to experience the beauty of interconnectedness throughout your life. Enjoy your first semester.

With Love,
Anne Ritter