An Irish Blessing, Traditions, and a Love Note from Mom
Some memories just stick with you, don’t they? Certain traditions, little things that remind us of the people we love—especially when we miss them most.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my mom—because who doesn’t long for a mother’s love and support when life feels hard? And with today being St. Patrick’s Day, she’s been on my mind even more. She always loved this day—with her strong Irish roots, her fondness for Irish Potatoes (which we made yesterday before the college kids hit the road), and her appreciation for Oxalis, the Shamrock St. Patrick used to teach about the Trinity. Every year, she gave me one to honor the day and my upcoming birthday.
St. Patrick’s Day has always been special, not just because of her heritage but because it’s so close to my birthday. St. Patrick has long been a favorite saint of mine, and through my mom’s love for this day and my growing Catholic faith, I came to understand the beauty of the Church Triumphant—the connection we still share with those who have gone before us. The irony is not lost on me now, if you ask me.
When I was 23, my mom gave me a framed Irish Blessing. It’s definitely a bit dated, but I’m sentimental, so for decades, it’s hung in my bedroom—partly because it fit with the other pictures and colors, but mostly because I loved teasing Jon about me being part Irish while he was proudly Italian. He loved celebrating St. Paddy’s Day my way—especially once we had kids. We had fun adding shamrocks, Irish Potatoes and “pots of gold” to our family traditions for St Patrick’s Day to celebrate with our little Leprechauns.
St. Patrick has become even more meaningful to us—it’s our spiritual home, our parish, and the sacred place where both my mom and Jon had their funeral Masses. But today, that’s not what this reflection is about.
Today, I took that framed blessing down to dust it (wide eyes here—it’s been a while, and there was a lot of dust), and I decided to share the blessing with my girls. As I held it, I remembered something I hadn’t thought of in a long time—my mom had written a note on the back.
Funny enough, before I even thought about that framed blessing this morning, I had been thinking: If only I could talk to my mom today and take her some of the Irish Potatoes the kids and I made. Thanks, Mom, for the love note and wink.
She often took pen in hand to write her feelings, leaving notes of appreciation and encouragement. She loved to write—I guess I know where I get it from. Lately, I’ve been longing to hear her encouragement, and rediscovering her note felt like a gift—one I didn’t realize I needed so much.
On the back, part of what she wrote:
“Whatever the time, whatever the place, all along the way you have always displayed fairness, strength, courage, and your inner beauty of the human spirit…How precious you are to me; the greatest gift of love.”
I really needed those words today.
Reading those words brought tears and comfort—but more than that, a huge smile. Life has felt heavy lately—with the ‘yuck’ of loss, the struggles with my shoulder, the limits I’ve had to face, and the deep gift she was to my kids. They miss her a ton, too. They each had a special bond with her, and not a day went by without her reaching out to them. She’d be so proud of who they are becoming, how they have navigated these days without their dad—and how I have navigated them without my husband, provider, and best friend.
She loved Jon and he loved her; they had fun playfully joking with one another. In the early days, she and Jon may have often lightheartedly teased each other about the Irish-Italian thing, but they truly loved each other.
Thinking back to those memories of Jon and my mom’s bond, I can’t help but reflect on how much I missed having my mom here to support me through those hard moments. When I watched a show recently where a mother hugged her daughter in the midst of her husband’s cancer diagnosis, I felt that ache—the one that longs for what I couldn’t have during Jon’s illness and now in this season of grief.
But just when I was feeling that ache most, my mom’s love found me in her own beautiful way. Reading her words felt like an early birthday gift wrapped in grace—a reminder that even now, she’s still speaking encouragement into my life.
Isn’t that what the Church Triumphant does for us? United with Christ in heaven, they intercede for us, reaching across the veil to remind us that we are loved, prayed for, and never forgotten—while also teaching us to trust in God’s providence and the unseen ways He continues to care for us through the Communion of Saints like St. Patrick.
It felt especially fitting after my daughter brought home an Oxalis yesterday—a tradition my mom cherished and one that always reminded us of her deep love for her Irish roots and faith. It’s reminded me of my love for plants and gardening. I think I got the green thumb from her too, just by watching and learning.
The picture is from today.
Maybe you have a tradition, a keepsake, or a note from a loved one that still brings you comfort. It’s funny how those little things—something as simple as a shamrock/Oxalis plant or an old framed blessing—can hold so much love.
May we be people who tell others how much we love and care for them now, and not leave them wondering.
May we take time to write those notes and letters, leave messages, and let those we love hear our voices. Time is too precious to wait.
So today, as I read the Irish Blessing once more—”May the road rise to meet you…May the sun shine warm upon your face…”—I feel my mom’s presence, her love still reaching across time and from beyond the veil.
And maybe, just maybe, the road really does rise to meet us in the love that never leaves exactly when we need it. Until we meet again, Mom (and Jon.)
An Irish Blessing
“May the road rise up to meet you.
An Irish Blessing
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.”
And since we are talking about St. Patrick, it feels fitting to leave you with the St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
