My Dad LOVED being of Irish descent and St. Patrick’s day was definitely one of his favorites. He loved having a sip of “Irish Mist” a honey liquor he would try to get my brothers and me to drink that made your mouth pucker from the sweetness.
When we were kids he told us that if we went to Ireland he planned on walking into a church in Cappagh White where our ancestors are from and exclaiming “We’re back!”. Several years ago he and my mom had a chance to go and that’s exactly what he did much to the bemusement of the locals.
In April 2020 he went to the hospital for pneumonia and never left. We didn’t get to see him in person for those first six months. He stayed in a nursing home until passing this past May after a fifteen-year battle with dementia.
Today’s Dwyer’s Law is a common Irish saying that basically says there’s nothing more important than the fireside of your home, so don’t take the people in it for granted. No job or work you are doing (unless you are a cancer researcher) is as important as quality time with your family. I certainly wish I had spent more time with my dad, on several occasions I made excuses like I had a big meeting or presentation coming up and couldn’t come out to Denver to see him, or was stressed about work and unable to get away for a long weekend. Or would hurry to get off the phone with him because of a call from my boss or a colleague.
Your jobs will come and go, but your parents are only here for a finite amount of time and as I’ve gotten older it seems to be moving faster than ever.
So, pause your work day and reach out to a parent, and if you are blessed with them being close enough to hug go do it.
I’d give anything for one more pint or coffee with my pops in his favorite pub.
Sláinte!
