Our Lady of the Lake

My Alma Mater.

I'm not sure if other people feel the strong connection to their Alma mater, that I feel to my Alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. Well, I'm pretty sure a lot of people don't feel this way about their school. I have tried to explain this to non-Notre Dame people before and they just don't get it.

I guess for a lot of people, when they think Notre Dame, they think it is just a school with a great football team, and nothing more. But it is so much more than that to me.

Whenever I head back to my beloved Alma mater, I truly feel as though I am going home.

I guess the first time I experienced this was when I was still at Notre Dame. In the fall of my sophomore year, my parents came up to Notre Dame for a football game (yes, there is that pesky football reference). At the end of the weekend, after my parents had gone home, one of my very best guy friends made a comment to me that every time my Dad was on campus he had this "perma-grin" on his face the entire time he was there. Up until that moment, I had not really noticed this. But after he said that, I paid more attention the next time my parents came up for a visit, and sure enough ... there was the "perma-grin" on my Father's face!

Fast forward twenty years ... now that I too am a graduate of Notre Dame, and make visits back to campus ... I also notice this very same "perma-grin" on my face.

Maybe it's because I really grew into the person I am now while I was at Notre Dame. Maybe it's because my spiritual self developed so much while I was there. I am not really sure. But I feel this peace ... this calm ... this overwhelming connection ... whenever I am there. And no matter how chaotic my life may be at home, once I step foot on that campus, all is right with the world.

I am headed up to visit my beloved Alma mater in the not-so-distant future, and I can't wait. I am ready for a nice walk down memory lane, and the centering and refocusing that happens whenever I am there.

I surely hope that other people feel this way about their Alma maters. All I know is that Notre Dame was way more for me than just a school ... it was the bridge from who I was ... to who I am today!

Notre Dame our Mother, pray for us.

Cheers!