March 17th 2025
Happy St Patrick’s Day!
Happy Patrick’s Day! Here is some shamrock and light for you from the shores of the Irish Sea. I remember as a child my mother opening the puffy envelope containing a sprig of shamrock sent to her every March by her sister Angela back home in Kerry. My mother looked forward to that piece of home and family arriving to the house every year. She would pin it on her lapel and wear it proudly. It was a piece of home, grown on Irish soil and symbolized her people, culture, and memory as she stood watching the St Patrick’s Day parade in downtown Detroit. My father from Tipp, who never missed a day of work for any reason, would take St Patrick’s Day off and work the door at the Gaelic League. They always celebrated St Patrick’s Day. My son took his family out to the parade yesterday. Proud to be Irish and passing it on to his children. The Irish are a proud race. I am grateful to my parents for all they sacrificed to give us the life we had in America and for teaching us to never forget where we came from. Here is to all of America’s immigrants who never forget where they come from, and who, in turning to America for a better life, have not only given it the very best of themselves, they have gifted it their children.
