Happy Saint Patrick's Day - What exactly was the original reason for celebration you may ask?
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
While I may be of English/Italian decent I have had the pleasure of personal celebration on March 17th most of my life as it was my fathers date of birth. Since his death on Valentines day in 1993 I have found St. Patrick's day to be bitter sweet. While I always enjoy wearing my green "Erin Go Bragh" hat every year I also find myself wondering what life would be like if my dad was still here with us.
While Corned beef may not have been the traditional meal of the Irish (back then only the rich lords of the land could afford the salt required to preserve meat) we as New Englanders have always had a way with making a boiled dinner into something mouth watering not to mention the awesome things that become of leftovers especially my homemade corned beef hash! I must admit I indulge in corned beef dinners throughout the year but watching my kids sit around the table on St. Patrick's Day with a plate full of Corned Beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots transports me back to my childhood and the celebration of my dad's birthday, trying to be the first to butter his nose and my fathers yearly disapproval of me and my brother smothering our cabbage with ketchup!
Every year I learn to focus more and more on my life's blessings while still honoring my fathers memory despite there always being a feeling of sadness when I realize the joys my family would have if he were still alive. I realize that he can't read these words but they make me feel better so...
Happy Birthday Dad - I miss you and Love you but most of all I wish you were here.
Happy Birthday Dad - I miss you and Love you but most of all I wish you were here.
4 comments:
I never met your Dad, Charlie, but seeing the pictures and his smile I can tell you that he's alive and well in you.
All the best,
Tom
Charlie, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the way you regularly honor your Father's memory & your mother.
Your honesty is refreshing. Your comfort with your emotions is a healthy example of biblical manhood.
Thanks for manning up, being real, & honoring God by honoring your Dad.
Paul and Tom,
Thank you for the kind words. My father was very special to me and is missed greatly but thankfully I live with the hope of seeing him again in the presence of God. I am grateful that he raised me to be the man that I am and despite leaving before I had fully grown up I am able to use his examples in how to raise my children. I am truly blessed to have a great relationship with my mother and her husband Roger as well as the relationship I have with my wife's parents!
I love that you honor your Father. The 30 years of marriage I had with him, produced the 3 children whom I love very much. I have a lot of happy memories I can look back on. Have a wonderful St. Patricks's Day.
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