I didn’t see any leprechauns on this trip. But, I didn’t look for them either. I was captivated by the beauty of the landscape – and the people. They stole my heart and transformed my vision.
On this trip, my normally busy mind (the planner me) quieted, and I saw a world sometimes hidden from me. The Irish soda bread, the walks along the craggy terrain, the celebrative toasts with friends—opened my eyes and prompted reverie.
St. Patrick’s Day brings me back to this fall journey.
I’m reminded of my ancestors crossing the seas. Away from their birth home, away from everything familiar, they traveled in search of their hopes and dreams. Some became indentured servants, some became farmers, and a few became ministers or teachers like me.
Don’t we all do the same—travel in search of our dreams?
Whether we have known the comforts of life or the pangs of hunger, aren’t we all charged to find our way? Isn’t that our destiny?
The feast of St. Patrick is for me a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit, and of a man who, through faith, humility and determination, symbolically leads us even today.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!