WAKE UP WITH PURPOSE! WHAT I'VE LEARNED MY FIRST HUNDRED YEARS

WAKE UP WITH PURPOSE! WHAT I'VE LEARNED MY FIRST HUNDRED YEARS by Sister Jean with Seth Davis

I was so sorry to see that Sister Jean passed away last night. Our family thrives on March Madness in the spring, thanks especially to my son, and just like the rest of the world, we would clamor for a glimpse of the Loyola Chaplain every time the team played. We loved seeing this centenarian+ (she was 106) dedicated to rooting for her boys, and it was clear they loved her as well. When I came across her book about a month ago in a bookstore, I picked it up not able to resist the title. She really did "Wake Up With Purpose" each day, and it was astounding what she accomplished. She was a true "go-getter." If we all adopted this same commitment in our lives, there is no doubt we would go far in life!

There was a lot about Sister Jean that I appreciated reading about. Her dedication to her faith (we would have disagreed on some parts, however she gave her life to it!), to learning, to her students, and her work ethic was commendable. Over her many years, she had seen and experienced a lot. She desired to share that with young people. There was a beautiful bond that formed between two often separated generations that would make our world a much better place if we would see more of it.

There were some social issues that we would have agreed on and some we would have disagreed on. Sister Jean took a more liberal view, and while she tended to not dive in too deeply, she made her thoughts on subjects known throughout the book.

All in all, I do mourn when we lose the members of the older generation. There is a part of history that dies with them that is no longer accessible to us. Certainly, when March Madness rolls around, and Loyola takes the floor, like I assume they will, I will miss seeing the snowy-white haired nun in her wheelchair, grinning from ear to ear, watching her boys run up and down the court.

HEADS UP- light references to LGBTQ+ , voting for Hilary Clinton, COVID-19 vaccine,

college drinking, co-ed dorms, her view on sex (wait for marriage) and abortion (believes it is immoral but should be left out of politics), BLM, etc.