I think that I must be a bit Irish as many of my ancestors came from that part of the world.

When we traveled to Ireland I was captivated by the scenery. Our guide sang an Irish song that was haunting and I can still remember it. I enjoyed immersing in the Irish culture and even had the correct answer to a trivia question that no one in our group knew.

MJ and I had dinner at Houlihans in St. Louis on St. Patrick’s Day many years ago. We had a Mexican dish and wine which we were not accustomed to drinking. Upon the second glass of wine, MJ asked me if I wanted to visit the Peweter store, and by a figurine of a father holding a video camera…which is something I did a lot of as Aaron and Jonathon were growing up and I quickly saw the magic of St. Patricks Day and wine…

Once we joined our friend Lee for a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at a local pub. Many of her friends were there and I thought the experience was enriching.

Joan and Jim graciously invited us to their home for several St. Patrick’s Day dinners and I have never eaten such delicious corn beef and cabbage…and bread…

I met an Irish man from Northern Ireland when we were traveling with Margo and Jeff and he told me that I must visit as they had wonderful peat. The man was a friendly rough-hewn gentleman who looked as if he did not suffer fools gladly.

So…we need holidays to remind us of who we are and the joy of living. We get bogged down in the minutia of our day-to-day walk. Holidays remind us of how special our gift is. We all have a history. We all came from somewhere. We need to be reminded of where we have been and where we are going.

Cinnamon and spice and everything nice is not only what little girls are made of but also the pauses we take to connect with each other and relish our shared humanity. Darkness is pierced by the light of love. Hope awakes anew each morning.

The cords that bind us together are so much stronger than the artificial and self-serving rhetoric of those who would divide us…