St Patricks Day is coming

And my family tries to avoid it.

A couple of years ago, on St. Pats Day, my SIL (sister in law) and 6 ½ yo niece was in a car accident in Belgium where my BIL was stationed (Army). My husbands brother. The SIL and niece were coming home from Kindergarten around noon and at a bad intersection, pulled out into oncoming traffic. My niece sustained massive damage and they had her on life support. My SIL was in a coma for 2 months and is still trying to recover from her injuries and head trauma. She doesn’t remember the accident or her daughter. Most of her marriage is gone as well as the memories of her older daughters. It’s been very traumatic for my BIL and two surviving nieces. BIL had to make the decision to disconnect his youngest daughters life support on the Spring Solstice. She helped several needy children, but her loss is still felt in the family.

Needless to say, we don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s day. Not that the day had anything to do with the accident, but they are easy days to remember and suffer the consequences.

To be perfectly honest, that is one holiday we never really celebrated anyway. We aren’t drinkers (other than the hubby’s beer), partiers, or hooligans, so the celebration doesn’t interest us. I’m sure there are lots of Irish Saint reasons the holiday started, but it, like all the other holidays, have regressed into ‘get drunk and spend a lot of money’. Again, it doesn’t pertain to me, because I’m allergic to alcohol, and am perpetually broke with three teenagers in the house.

Anyway, I sit here, wondering what other people do on this upcoming holiday, why they celebrate it, and if they care about the original meaning. Or if, like the Winter solstice, it has regressed into something else entirely, such as Christmas.

But, I won’t get into that, because my views on when and why the holidays started is not what one god followers are sure is the absolute, unvarnished truth, I will just leave it at that. I’m sure there are Irish people who see the revelry and shake their heads in dismay. Then pick up a green beer and toast the room.

Me, I will probably get in some extra writing.

Which is what I’m supposed to be doing now. Yall got me all introspective and junk and now I have to write humor… Thanks.

Sheesh

Brenda