May the road rise to meet you,
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. -Irish Blessing
This blessing was inscribed on a ceramic wall plaque in my childhood home. Those words caused my heart to smile and connected me to a heritage that I knew of only through my mom’s retelling of my grandmother’s stories. Remembrances of grandma's growing up years and her adventurous spirit; courageously leaving home alone at age 17 for a foreign land and sadly, one that she was never able to return home to visit loved ones.
A dream came true; one that my grandmother Kate never realized, nor my mom. As family emissary, I carried their love with me as I met our relatives in County Kilkenny in 2011. Beautiful to recall is how our cousins brought their love from Ireland to my mom (late in life) and very soon my sister, Pat and family will visit their homestead.
While in Kilkenny I experienced our relatives most generous, kind and exceedingly warm hospitality as a blessing that will always be with me. I in turn, extend this blessing to you…
May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near. -Irish Blessing
Reflection & watercolor by Liz Sorensen Wessel
