Boy, there are a lot of Irish blessings out there, aren't there? It seems the Irish are always wishing good things on others. I am half Irish by way of my paternal grandfather and maternal grandfather - my great-grandfather, Timothy Ambrose Cronin, born in County Cork, Ireland in 1879 is my most recent Irish ancestor. Because he told my grandmother and my grandmother told me that he saw a leprechaun as a young lad in Ireland, I defended leprechauns as being real, not imaginary like unicorns or fairies (ok, the Irish would argue that fairies are also real, I suppose), in front of my whole class as a young girl. And I was a shy kid, but I did not want my teacher and classmates passing around wrong information.
I am not embarrassed by that moment at all. I taught my 3 year old daughter about leprechauns this week. My grandmother, who passed away almost two years ago at the age of 99, insisted until the end that leprechauns were being mischievous in her home. I believe her.
Though I often identify most with my German side, I sometimes feel very Irish. I look Irish. I inherited a bit of the Irish superstitious nature. I enjoy laughter and storytelling late into the night over a couple of pints. My daughter and son are only a quarter Irish but I hope they'll be proud of their heritage as well - I think my great-grandfather and grandmother would be happy to know that my daughter spent today wishing everyone a "Happy Patrick's Day" and looking for leprechauns. And with that, I leave you with one of many, many Irish blessings wishing you only good things in life, because even if you're not Irish by ancestry, today everybody is Irish in spirit!
