This I Believe

One of the best gifts I received when I finished grad school was a book called This I Believe, based off of the NPR program (and 1950s radio broadcast) of the same name. In the book and the weekly program, "Americans from all walks of life share the personal philosophies and core values that guide their daily lives." Reading from this book quickly became one of my most treasured rituals. Every night, after I had finished preparing for work the next day, I'd get ready for bed and read one of the essays before going to sleep. When the book was finished, I turned to the weekly podcast. I found the essays simple yet profound, and each in their own way inspiring. I often thought I should sit down and put my own thoughts on paper, but as it often does, life got in the way. All this to day, I was ecstatic when my student staff at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) were asked to write their own This I Believe essays to share at our weekly meetings. Last week, I wrote and shared mine. As much as I tried not to tie my piece to my Catholic identity, there was no denying the truth that so much of who I am, what I do, and of course, what I believe is centered on my faith. And so I share it here