Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!!! I hope this day finds you well, (gosh, sounds like i'm writin' a letter) though it was rather bittersweet for me last night. St Paddy's Day (the d's i'll explain later) will forever be bittersweet for me, since my Grampie (madre's dad) died 6 years ago yesterday. :_( This being since he had Irish heritage on both sides of his family, and since I was the oldest of his 2 grandsons (my cousin Tristan is the other), I had probably the most unique relationship w/him out of my mom's family. He was close w/my aunt Kathy, since she took him out shopping every week, but I wasn't subject to his, perhaps, questionable parenting in the early/mid 70s and otherwise darker aspects beyond the nearly lifelong smoking & drinking. Though by many accounts such could add up to 'dirty 'ol man', nonetheless he was always my favorite Irishman, (along w/my uncle Danny Brown) and he knew how proud I was, & still am of my Irish roots/heritage. So despite the uncertainty that most of us presumably had w/regard to his spiritual condition, and whether he would actually be w/the Lord or not. Though I'll always wonder about that for the rest of my time on earth, I have to give that one up to God and trust in the provision of his will, no matter how many sleepless nights that may have caused me.
My Grampie, Left, and friend.
Now all the Irish folk on the Emerald Isle refer to today as 'St. Paddy's Day', as opposed to 'St. Patty's Day' common here, which is because the Irish Gaelic (Gailege) version of 'Patrick' is 'Pádraig'. So now the green (on the flag @ least) is representative of the Catholic heritage, and the orange of the Protestant heritage, via William of Orange. Though I don't have any orange to wear anymore, I suspect that the family had a Catholic heritage anyhow, so I wore my black w/green print 'Die Trying' t-shirt w/the favorite L.L. Bean green flannel shirt. Well I might be doing something tonight, not sure what, but alas it should be fun either way.
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig agus go mbeannaí Dia duit! ........... Happy St. Patrick's Day and may God bless you!
My Grampie, Left, and friend.
Now all the Irish folk on the Emerald Isle refer to today as 'St. Paddy's Day', as opposed to 'St. Patty's Day' common here, which is because the Irish Gaelic (Gailege) version of 'Patrick' is 'Pádraig'. So now the green (on the flag @ least) is representative of the Catholic heritage, and the orange of the Protestant heritage, via William of Orange. Though I don't have any orange to wear anymore, I suspect that the family had a Catholic heritage anyhow, so I wore my black w/green print 'Die Trying' t-shirt w/the favorite L.L. Bean green flannel shirt. Well I might be doing something tonight, not sure what, but alas it should be fun either way.
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig agus go mbeannaí Dia duit! ........... Happy St. Patrick's Day and may God bless you!