St. Patrick’s Day In and the Power of Stories

This may be a very different St. Patrick’s Day than many of us are used to, but the story of the Irish people, both in Ireland and for the Irish diaspora abroad, is one of resiliency, survival, and the creativity to keep connections alive and spirits up even in times they have been monstrously threatened. Through famine, war, oppression, poverty, xenophobia, human rights abuses, and all manner of hardship, they have endured. This legacy is what I, as a descendant of Irish immigrants, celebrate on this holiday.

Like Beneath Blair Mountain’s Lara Rae trying to navigate the strange and uncertain times of a changing 1910s America, we don’t know what the future will hold. We may face new trials; bear new burdens; and see struggles, sacrifices, and sorrows we never imagined. But we will face them. And we will do so together. Irish or no, all of our ancestors have faced dark and difficult times before.

We will get through this. With song, story, and the indomitable human spirit that finds hope and fellowship and the will to keep going, no matter how bleak things may seem. That is humanity’s legacy. And that is the task, however Herculean, before us all now. Prejudice, division, and the all-too-familiar cry of “America First!” once again try to take advantage of the chaos to sow their seeds of hate, but we must not yield to them.

In the words of a beloved Irish song, never be daunted by the strength of your foe. We face many monstrous threats today, but we can and we will face them. We can be strong enough, brave enough, wise enough, resourceful enough, and kind enough. We can endure. We can fight for a better world. And we can see a brighter day dawn.

Draw on stories when you need strength, my friends. As someone may one day find strength, comfort, or hope in yours. So even if all you can do today is curl up in self-quarantine with a book, you are doing your part to fight the good fight. Sláinte! 🍻