Breathe life into others

A couple of years before I ended my undergraduate academic career at the University of Manitoba, I enrolled in an elective course called Introduction to Catholic Studies (CATH 1190).

Although my major was in Integrated Biology, this elective course remains my most memorable undergraduate course. This has little to do with how interesting or challenging the course was but more to do with the lecturer - Rev. Jeffrey S. Burwell, SJ

Here’s the thing - At that point in my life, I was dealing with an internal crisis. I was a biology student who liked writing random stories no one ever read more than I enjoyed analyzing the distributions of phytoplankton cell concentration in Lake Winnipeg. I didn’t think I was good enough to ever be a professional writer - until I took that elective course.

The requirements to complete the course were good grades in four essays and a final examination. The essays were spread evenly throughout the semester and by the time I submitted my fourth essay, Rev. Burwell called me into his office. In his office, he spent roughly 10 minutes critiquing my four essays. When he was done, he ended the meeting by saying:

“I don’t know what you’re studying as a major or what you want to do after your degree. What I know, for sure, is that when I look at you and read your essays, all I see is a writer. I hope you take that gift more seriously.”

I’m still learning to take writing seriously.

I have a long way to go as a writer but I wouldn’t be one without Rev. Burwell’s words of encouragement. Jeffrey Burwell, Brook Jones, Zane Schwartz, Craig Adolphe, Alana Trachenko, Tracey Maconachie, Oluponmile Adeyemo - these are a few names that will always be a part of my story, however far I go. I spent very little time with most of them and yet, their words to me were exact and edifying.

I hope my words can be exact and edifying to someone else too. So much so that I am choosing to be more intentional about my conversations and interactions - even the random ones.

It is fascinating how much life we can breathe into each other when we are sensitive to the hearts and lives of others. Our thoughts, words, actions and gifts carry more weight and meaning than we like to admit.

Let’s get rid of our moral high grounds, indifferent attitudes, careless speech and stereotypical conclusions. Let’s normalize being sensitive to the presence, speech, emotions and lives of others - even strangers.

Be part of someone else’s story - breathe life into others.