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Bittersweet St. Patrick's Day! (PIP)
This week is SUPER hard... tomorrow will mark 6 months since my dad passed away , and St. Patrick's Day was one of his favorite days of the year 
It's going to be really hard not being with my family this year... we thought about driving in for the day, but driving for 12 hours to be there for a few hours seemed crazy. Growing up, my familiy's St. Patrick's Days consisted of getting up, going to mass, going to breakfast, going to the Firefighter's Memorial (about an hour before the parade, to honor fallen firefighters in Cleveland), going to the parade, then going to a party or two (one at a church or a hall, one at a family friends). For the most part this was with countless cousins and family friends. My dad loved his Irish heritage, loved being a firefighter, and loved the City of Cleveland. This was a day where he could celebrate all three! There is a new firefighter's memorial that my dad helped bring to fruition (he raised the rest of the money needed to build it) right near the Browns Stadium. Every year for the memorial on St. Patrick's Day, they ask the family of a fallen firefighter (normally someone who died in the line of duty) to present a wreath in memory of all the fallen firefighters. Sometimes they ask families of recently deceased retired firefighters as well, and this year they asked my family to do it. I hate that I can't be there- but I'll be thinking of him all day.
Instead of being there for all the fun, DH and I went to church this morning, work all day, then going to a bar where he is playing with a traditional band tonight!
And a song we played a few two many times that week in the hospital (mainly to make each other smile): If I ever leave this world alive by Flogging Molly
And the song he sang when we were kids, and we sang a few times during the week he was in the hospital, and at the cemetary: When Irish Eyes are Smiling
Here is a picture from 4 years ago of about half my immediate family (missing a brother, a sister, two nephews, two nieces, two brother in-laws and it was before I started dating Steve!) I love that my nephew, brother and dad all had the same expression, and were the only ones not smiling! My dad usually was smiling, though!
Here is a picture of the memorial, too. We took some wedding pictures there for my dad!
Re: Bittersweet St. Patrick's Day! (PIP)
**hugs**
your dad sounds like he was super awesome
Im sorry you cant spend the day w/ your family, though
House Renovations
Married Bio
I am a gluten-free, gun-toting wife! :P
I love you, Daddy...2/24/1953 to 2/13/2011
Thanks, ladies! I am doing much better than i thought I would be!
I just talked to my mom. Whoever introduced the family at the memorial said something to the effect that I was "no longer with them", and then corrected himself. My nephew said they made it sound like I was dead! That cracks me up.
my read shelf:
Ellen,
That is a bummer you can't be with your family today but it sounds like you are handling it well. I know your dad is looking over you and your family and smiling on one of his favorite holidays! My parents are Irish and St. Pat's Day was one of my dad's favorites too! He would carry around Irish music the whole week and wear a shamrock vest (and sometimes carry green balloons!) He also loved green carnations and always sent them to Irish people and in memory of Irish people. I wanted to get some to put on his grave today, but didn't make it. Hang in there!