Word of the Year

I loved Bethany Welch's reflection. We tend to review our years in terms of what was accomplished: how much weight did we lose, how much money did we earn, where did we go, etc. However, the idea of looking at your year through a lens of love is very profound and moving. When we ask ourselves how much love we gave and how much we received, we are truly looking at how well we have lived during the last year. The quote from Pope Francis she used was especially powerful: " Love now becomes concern and care for the other. No longer is it self-seeking, a sinking in the intoxication of happiness; instead it seeks the good of the beloved." 

The word I would choose to describe my life during 2013 would be growth. I've been blessed to experience so many things this year that have changed me as a person and caused me to mature. I went to Mississippi and Haiti on service trips, I survived the stress of applying to college, I helped my family through my grandfather's illness. During 2014 I look forward to growing even further and becoming a better, wiser, and happier person.