St. Patrick's Day Round-Up

Right after the birth of our first son, a saint-of-a-friend carried a hot meal all the way from Queens to our apartment in East Harlem, NYC, on St. Patrick’s Day. It was corned beef with cabbage and Irish soda bread and that meal has lived on in family lore, told every year on this day. Now we always cook up an “Irish Feast” (or at least our version), pull out photos of Ireland travels, and have a retelling of the inspiring story of St. Patrick.

Should anyone be interested in beginning a St. Paddy’s day tradition, here’s what ours usually includes, best enjoyed with Irish music and friends:

Corned beef

Potatoes

Carrots

Cabbage

Irish soda bread

(There are recipes o’plenty online for all these)

Green additions for kids like grapes, cucumbers, and apples

Mint chocolate chip ice cream and brownie pie

Reading

Saint Patrick the Forgiver: The History and Legends of Ireland's Bishop

Creating

We had fun making art with a few St. Patrick-themed art videos from Art for Kids Hub! We’ve loved their videos for years.

Home, A Safe Place

“What is home? My favorite definition is "a safe place," a place where one is free from attack, a place where one experiences secure relationships and affirmation. It's a place where people share and understand each other. Its relationships are nurturing. The people in it do not need to be perfect; instead, they need to be honest, loving, supportive, recognizing a common humanity that makes all of us vulnerable.”

-Gladys Hunt, Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life

As we reach out to a hurting and broken world, may we cultivate a nurturing and soul-filling home. It's not about decor or the size of your space, but about the kindness and care that fill the walls. May we ask the Lord to bring those into our homes who need to feel His love. And may we readily offer grace and patience to those living within it.