In these times of uncertainty, I have found myself doing two things more than I did previously to promote self-care. The first is expressing gratitude and self-appreciation. It is easy to point out the negativity of the world and long for days we have lost and wish problems could simply fade away. However, time continues to march on and we will inevitably become stronger through our experiences. As such, I started using this time to be kind to myself and to others. I pray to God every day thanking Him for my health, my family, my friends, and the safety of those that matter to me. 

The second is that I have started looking at how humanity is shining through when our normal has been shifted far off from what it used to be. The much beloved Mr. Rogers once said, "When I saw scary things in the news, my mother always told me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people helping.'". Our Jesuit education exemplifies that we are called to be "men and women for and with others". Humanity is found in every action from parades held in cars for birthday parties, volunteering to deliver groceries to the elderly, and everything in between. While we do not know what the future holds at the moment, these moments prove that resilience and compassion will get us through, just as they always have.

Conor Shea, '17, M.S. '21

(From Mission & Identity's "What Canisius Means to Me" series. To participate, email your response to mission@canisius.edu)