Stop. Look. See. Love.

"You looked at me. You stopped to talk to me. Nobody hardly ever does that."

These words stopped us in our tracks.

Having come together with other young adults in the Archdiocese of Chicago to deliver food and water to people on the streets of Chicago and to engage in conversation with them, it was a cold night to be walking the downtown streets. We had just stopped for a few moments to talk to a woman named Sharon, a Chicago native as it turns out, and had made our way a bit further up Michigan Avenue when we met Lucy. The leader of our group, a senior at Loyola Chicago and a member of their Labre service group, seemed to recognize her from before (as he often served on the same route), but the rest of us had never met her. She was a bit standoffish at first, but then she really just wanted to talk.

And that's when she said it to us: "You looked at me. You stopped to talk to me. Nobody hardly ever does that."

At that moment, I looked around at the many people walking up and down the street, coming back from dinner or shopping in some of the high end retail stores. Others seemed to just be on their way home. I saw myself among them (minus the high end retail store shopping) - how many times do I pass by people on the street because I am in a hurry or because talking to them might be uncomfortable or for any other silly reason? It was disheartening and enlightening at the same time. We take human interaction for granted, but some of these people I met on Monday night hadn't had any real interaction all day.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has a name. Why is it so hard for us to recognize that?

So, when you're reading this, please take a moment to pray for Sharon, and Lucy, and Anthony, and Tyler, and Rich... And if you ever see them on Michigan Avenue, please make sure you take a moment to stop and say hello.

On my heart...

As I sat in Mass this morning, I realized that something has been on my heart for awhile, and I am really struggling with it... There is so much our Catholic faith teaches us about love of neighbor and the corporal works of mercy, but I personally fall short of living these out on a regular basis.

It's so easy for me to like or tweet an article/quote about serving others or to pass along different service opportunities (engaging myself in them from time to time, yes), but, when it comes down to it, am I walking the talk? And I don't even necessarily mean doing service projects - how am I helping and interacting with people in my own community, how am I getting my hands dirty in God's work? I've used the excuse of grad school taking up my time for far too long - by no means have those in charge of my leadership program set out to drown us in content so much so that we fail to have time and opportunities to live out what we study, to be Jesus for others.

Why is it so hard to act with consistent efforts? Why has love of neighbor become something we admire others doing or something we reserve for the first Saturday of the month? I, sadly, don't think I'm alone in feeling this. I think it's a reality for others too. We're paralyzed because we don't know what to actually do, we get caught up in the busyness of life so as we pass by on genuine care and need of others, we get caught up in the "drama" of our own lives...

So, what now? What do I (we) need to do so that my (our) actions speak louder than words? I know the first answer should probably be to (continue to) bring this to prayer. But then...? Is it a matter of little actions, making a conscience effort each day to do one more thing than the day before to help me (us) become closer to those around me (us)?

I feel like I am just throwing out ideas, and I apologize if those ideas don't seem to be going anywhere, but I just can't seem to get it off my heart. So, I appreciate you letting me put my thoughts (however jumbled and raw) on paper, and I ask that you pray for me and anyone else who is struggling to understand what it looks like to more authentically live the Gospel in daily life. Thank you.

A Special Day

Student: Miss F, I didn't know you played soccer growing up!
Me: You never asked...
Student: Yeah, I know.

What a wonderful day we had in 7th grade - we took a break from our normal school routine and, instead, had the opportunity to help out with Special Olympics Chicago, an organization helping children and adults with cognitive disabilities.

Today, the sport was soccer, and the students were assigned to skills stations, where they explained the skill, timed the athletes, and kept score. By their standards, the skills seemed simple, and that only reinforced the idea that we often take our abilities for granted. It was pure joy to see the athletes running around, dribbling and shooting the ball, and receiving their awards. They had such a great time!

And our students were smiling a lot too - they really stepped up, showing leadership and responsibility at their respective stations. And, when the event itself was over, they had some time to let loose in a pick up soccer game. (We got to play around a bit before the event too - I was with the group on Field 3, and it just felt good to juggle and kick around the soccer ball. It's been forever!...and it doesn't take much to impress those kiddos...)

I am so grateful for the volunteer opportunity today, and I look forward to helping out at more events in the future. My heart is so happy.

A note bringing a smile

Sometimes, the kids can really bring a smile to my face:

I am SO thankful for service club - it didn't feel like I was giving up my time at all. The kids brought so much joy and energy. It's hard to believe our time for this year is now over - looks like there are some BIG shoes to fill next year.

Service Day 2016

On Saturday I joined with over 400 parishioners to head out to different agencies and sites around the city for my church's annual "service day." A simple morning prayer service was followed by a mass exodus from the building, with groups heading this way and that. My group was assigned painting a room at House of Good Shepherd.

When we first arrived, we took a tour of the facilities and enjoyed lunch. Then, we got to work. With one roller and 7 brushes, we tackled baseboards and walls (after taping our edges, of course). We were pretty efficient, finishing in about two hours. Aside from my sister, I didn't know anyone else in our group of eight, but after the car ride over and time talking while painting, I feel like I made six new friends.

I wish our parish did "service day" more than once a year, though I know it's incredibly hard to coordinate everything with the sites, group leaders, and participants. But maybe this will be the start that a few of us need to try to get to places on a more regular basis. (At the post-Mass dinner, some parishioners were describing places/agencies I had never even heard of before!)

All in all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday (especially one with such nice weather). Additionally (but unrelated), I received word that my volleyball girls won their match on Saturday, so that was awesome too. (Go Dolphins!)

Now, considering how beautiful it is outside, it's time for a run by the lakefront, which will be followed by a friend's baby shower and some errands (plus a little school work/prep). Have a restful Sunday!

Transforming Before My Eyes

Teaching middle school is a whole different ball game from teaching elementary school. You don't need to be (or consult) a rocket scientist to figure that one out. And I'm not here to argue if one is better or easier than the other.

What I would like to point out, though, is the opportunity to witness growth over a two- or three-year period with the students in your classes as a middle school teacher. (Yes, you can witness growth of students when they remain in the building and move on to other grades, but it's not quite the same as interacting with them every day.)

Recently, this thought came to my attention because I realized how much one student in particular has transformed over the past two and a half years. I'd like to think I have had something to do with it, but I realize a lot of it came after her summer internship experience working with the homeless.

She was one of those students who originally got on my nerves, making comments that seemed to reflect a desire for attention and for everything to be related to her. Honestly, I used to get irritated. When I would think of my "favorite" students (ok, let's be real, we have no favorite students as teachers, right?), she used to not be one of them.

But, again, it's funny how time and experiences shape us. Now, this young woman is helping to start a service club for students at our school. She even asked me to write a letter of recommendation (a secondary one for her character/faith) as part of her high school application process (and then proceeded to write a sweet thank you note - see below).

The girl I knew in 6th grade is no more. She has transformed before my very eyes. And, if I stop to think about it, each of my students has changed quite a lot since they entered my religion class. (I sure hope I've contributed even a tiny bit to changes for the better.) Some still irk me (and some irk me more than they used to), but they are all on their way to finding their identities and preparing for their future education and careers.

I'm very proud of all of them. I hope they continue to grow intellectually, emotionally, and in their faith lives.

Classification: Random Reflection (6-21-14)

Saturday, 6/21/14

I didn't bring much jewelry on this trip, but I did wear my Gospel Roads footprint necklace. It's hard to believe that was 10 years ago.  A lot happened (growth-wise) for me on that trip and then after it too...

I still remember pretty vividly taking the lead in packing/distributing toothpaste and such at the food bank. I also remember going outside the physical fence to speak with people at the homeless shelter. A few other really powerful things on that trip were Reconciliation that brought me to tears as well as a walk with our school's priest (Fr. Greg), where he helped me realize that change/growth comes gradually, even when we would rather have our very own bolts of lightning.

Funny, 10 years later I find myself walking in Jesus' footsteps in a different way - this time I am a pilgrim, not a servant. But I will not complete this journey to the Holy Land without keeping what I learned at Gospel Roads at the forefront of my mind...