AN OLD IRISH BLESSING

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May the road rise up to meet you. (Go n-eírí an bóthar leat.)

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

And rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

An a Happy St. Paddy’s day to ya lad and lassies.

‘Tis a fine day indeed b’Jesus.

Helen

Having been married to an Irishman, through and through, one who claims she can do the jig, yet never did it for me I bid you all a fine day. She tells me my four children are half Italian and half Irish. I really don’t know which ones are Italian and which ones are Irish though! You’d think a father would.

Over the years I have made her corned beef and cabbage, lamb and baked Irish soda bread, sang Tula Lula Lula to me wee ones and Mother McCree to get them to sleep. I enjoy an Irish ditty and bit o’ libation if you will. Aye, I tend to carry on like an Irishman meself b’Jesus!

The Little Woman

May the blessing of the rain be on you—
the soft sweet rain.
May it fall upon your spirit
so that all the little flowers may spring up,
and shed their sweetness on the air.

Now don’t be getting all teary eyed and melancholy on me now!

May the blessing of the great rains be on you,
may they beat upon your spirit
and wash it fair and clean,
and leave there many a shining pool
where the blue of heaven shines,
and sometimes a star

There is one truism I know, the Irish love the simple things in life, simple foods and a drink, simple love and simple prayer. Most have the morning sun in their smile and good cheer fills their veins.

Maureen, Ellen, Kevin and Dennis

May the good earth be soft upon you

When you rest upon it.

And may it rest easy upon you when,

at the last, you lay out under it,

One of the happiest and yet simple Irishmen I know was Helen my mother-in-law. She was quick with her laugh, she could spin out a long yarn and take it all over the world she could stun you, amaze you and make you love her! But she was brilliant too!

Jim

And may it rest so lightly over you

that your soul may be out

from under it quickly

and up, and off

And be on its way to God.

Then there was her Jim, simpler yet, loving his NY Times, TV news panel shows, easy chair and avid fan of Meet the Press, he was ornery, serious and loved his Helen and his children, saving enough room for all his grandchildren.

Some day when the world is over, God will decide who was good and who was bad. But in his judgment he will also take the time to cite the Irish for always smiling.