Community is important, and being an active member in your community benefits you and those around you. A strong sense of community can help lower feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, being part of a positive community can help provide a sense of purpose, belonging, and self-worth. You don’t have to volunteer at a soup kitchen to be a part of a community. Simply taking time to connect with those around you helps you create community.
During my undergrad, I volunteered at the convent that sat on my university’s campus. The convent was the Motherhouse for the Sisters of the Holy Cross and housed mostly novices (Sisters in training) and retired Sisters. My job was simple: I would scan in old paper documents so they could be properly preserved in the Sisters’ archives. I did this job under the watchful eyes of Sister Esther Black, CSC, an 80-year-old nun, who ran a strict ship.
In the beginning, I was a bit scared of Sister. I wanted to please her, but she was incredibly hard to read. She was quiet and reserved, and whenever I asked her a question, she would look up from her work, peer over her glasses at me, and then patiently wait until I came up with a solution on my own. If she liked my solution, she would nod her head and then go back to her work. It was through this work with Sister that I began to gain confidence in my own problem-solving skills, and over time Sister and I became close friends. While we worked, Sister would tell stories about growing up in Chicago, IL, training as a novice and taking classes at Saint Mary’s, and teaching elementary school before retiring to the Motherhouse. After a while, Sister started inviting me to the convent for lunch, where I met and connected with other Sisters at the Motherhouse, and later I returned the favor by bringing my friends to convent events.
At the time I didn’t realize it, but looking back now, I see that my friendship with Sister benefitted both of us in ways well beyond having someone to chat with while we worked. Sister was a mentor to me, and I was a connection to the outside world for her. Together we also strengthened the community around the convent and the university campus by bringing students and Sisters together to connect.
While you may be a long way from befriending your local nun, I encourage you to go out and build and engage in the community around you. Attend IndyBar events, organize a group coffee break once a week at your firm, reach out to the attorney you interned for back in law school. Create community wherever you go.
Victoria Veen, Marion County Public Defender Agency
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