From the new day...

March 17^th was gorgeous with blue skies, warm sun and temperatures feeling more like mid spring than the end of winter. Such a pleasant Saturday found me outside doing yard work, which I usually don’t begin for at least another month. I have 6 foot tall grasses that I never cut down after the season as they add a bit of movement and softness to the usually still and hard winter landscape, as well as create a privacy screen. Today however, it was time to tackle them so for about 4 hours I cut and cut each reed with hand clippers and then tried to divide this perennial in order to keep the size manageable, but the grasses won the battle and will likely grow bigger than ever this summer season. The base and roots are like a cement pier at this point and even a hatchet barely cut any of the roots away. How symbolic that is…the strength of our roots.

 As I worked, I thought about how the reeds were probably similar to the reeds that my grandfather used to thatch his roof in Ireland. That’s where my roots are strong, in Ireland. My mother told me that their house was once given an award for the home with the nicest appearance on the road between Dublin and County Mayo where they lived. Suddenly I felt surrounded by my ancestors, hard working country people. I realized that this activity was given to me today for a purpose – to connect me with my family who have all passed on – and to thank them for their contributions to making me and my life what it is today. And how amazing that today is St. Patrick’s day! As the Irish flag flew in front of my house, and the cut reeds lay strewn all over the lawn, I knew that this was no coincidence. Happily, I appreciated this gift, the wonder of connection across the planes, and gave thanks for my parents, my grandparents and all my extended family who today I felt in my midst.

Giving thanks for the blessing of this day...