Chapel Talk, 2014 March 26 / Mary Kelly

Classics teacher Mary Kelly speaks of learning to live with, to accept, and to even embrace her panic disorder as part and parcel of herself. She concludes: "There are different responses to the difficulties we face in life. We can deny them. We can become hardened, isolated, self-centered. Or, we can choose to accept that pain is part of being human, and allow it to make us more aware, appreciative and empathetic beings. In radically accepting ourselves, getting in touch with who we truly are, we enable ourselves to love and be loved in the most genuine way possible."