Saint Patricks Day

A young Irish immigrant followed several of her siblings to the United States in the 1960’s. As many young and healthy maidens of her day, she hoped to meet a nice American man whom she could marry and share the remainder of her life.

The young woman’s chances were promising, partly because she had a beautiful figure that would attract the eye of any healthy male. Next, she adorned herself with a bee-hive type hair-do, as was widely popular at the time. One of her most appealing qualities was her obvious accent. It was significant enough to require her listeners to concentrate on every word she spoke. But when it came to effective communicating, her loving demeanor was never difficult to comprehend. All of that just added to her charm. She was not yet 30 years old

She settled into Denver, Colorado because one of her sisters lived there. Naturally, she needed to support herself, so she was willing to accept practically any job, just to get by. She had no college or special training, so predictably, her options were somewhat limited. Eventually however, the lovely lassie accepted a bookkeeping position in a snooty restaurant, near the down-town area. She made an incredible first impression.
She always wore nice well-fitting dresses, and just the right amount of make-up and jewelry. Her new-found employment helped her pay her bills as intended, but anybody who ever knew her would confirm that her wisdom and people-skills would have been better utilized in the role of the hostess.

The fancy restaurant was right across the street from the State Capital Building. It was frequented by high-level local politicians, dignitaries and other successful businessmen. Naturally, she got to know quite a few of them and some were worthy candidates as life-partners but none of them worked out.

Then one day, her elder sister told her of yet another possible candidate. Naturally, the younger one wanted to know what the potential suitor did for a living. She was disappointed to discover he was nothing more than a sales manager for a local soda pop company. She had had several previous and unsuccessful dates with various salespeople, so she was apprehensive about dating another one. But in spite of her cool response, the elder sister insisted that this particular fellow was different. Furthermore, some of the ladies considered him to be quite the looker. The elder sister was so insistent that the little Irish bookkeeper relented, and the date was set.

As fate would have it, the Irish lassie immediately realized that her wish had come true: She had met her very own Prince Charming. Before long, the bookkeeper and the sales manager were dating regularly and the next inevitable step was taken. That eventful moment would lead to both the best 25-years and the worst10-years of the young woman’s life.

Shortly after their marriage, the husband was promoted to vice-president and their fairytale life was unfolding beautifully. They turned out to be extremely well-matched. They were especially hospitable and gathered dozens of mutual friends. They regularly went camping with their pals and enjoyed holidays and parties and all sorts of fun gatherings.

The young Irish gal loved America and all of its customs and holidays. But as you would expect, she always held a special place in her life for St. Patrick’s Day. Naturally, she singlehandedly transformed an otherwise obscure holiday into something special for everybody who knew her. She frequently told stories about the old country, and leprechauns and shamrocks. She made incredible corned beef and cabbage. And after a few green beers, she would even show her friends how to dance an Irish jig. Her enthusiasm for life was contagious and legendary for one and all.

The unlikely couple built a wonderful life together. Then, one day, they took a trip to Texas to visit one of her other sisters and to conduct some personal business. Unfortunately, it would be the last thing they would ever do together. While attending a business matter, her husband had a fatal heart-attack and died instantly. They did not even get to say good-bye.

It was a sad ending indeed. Without any advanced notice, the young maiden suddenly lost her Prince Charming and she would never recover emotionally. The precious lassie lived another ten years and she did the best she could, but her remaining time was always crowded with sorrow and a broken heart.

Her name was Bridget. Her husband was my dad.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Bridget. I really miss you!

What about you? Do you have any special Irish friends?

Don't forget to visit my other blog about family finances, currently discussing the cost of dependants.