The Sunshine Empire

Today is St. Patrick’s day, and that Asian guy you work with is proudly wearing the “Kiss me I’m Irish” t-shirt from Spencers Gifts. All your friends from accounting will be going down to the local TGIFridays to drink green beer and some will make pithy jokes about St. Patrick, snakes, and Samuel L. Jackson movies. All of this is a sad little commentary on the Hallmarkization of most holidays, but in my family St. Patrick’s day is a serious affair and always brings me back to my late great uncle John.

Uncle John was responsible for bringing me in touch with my Irish heritage. He was an engineer that did well for himself and his wife despite having no children. He was so fond of Ireland and fishing that he would spend a month every year in County Kerry Ireland. In the little village of Castlegregory he rented the same house from the same family every year. The family would send the same daughter over to clean house and provide towels and such. When she grew up and married, my uncle remained in touch with her and insisted on attending the weddings of each of her children. John paid for my way to attend one of these trips to County Kerry and I’ll always love the man for that alone. We drove across Ireland from Dublin to Kerry, and I saw the truly beautiful wonder that Ireland is. Staying with our friends we saw the true Ireland, and my family still talks regularly with our friends in Castlegregory. When John was hospitalized in his final days he would just not let go. Mary-Ellen his old friend boarded a plan in Shannon and practically had a police escort to the hospital here in Duval. When she arrived in the hospital room John immediately became alert and responsive to the whole family. He passed away peacefully the next day, content he’d said his goodbyes to everyone.

John also introduced me to one of my greatest passions, whiskey. Tonight I’ll be toasting to him and the emerald isle with rare Paddy Irish Whiskey, which is considered close to gold in my family. I only toast on rare occasions, like the night Barack Obama won the Presidency, or when TV’s Jolemite welcomed his baby daughter Ruby into the world. So tonight hoist a glass of something other than green beer and toast a long lost friend, because that’s the true spirit St. Patrick’s day.