Green Leaves To Roots
Shamrocks. Leprechauns. Pots o’ gold. Green lore galore. When it comes to celebrating their ethnic roots, the Irish seem to do it best.
Besides St. Patrick’s Day being a grand ol’ time for everyone, why is it so popular? Why do so many people care so much about the patron saint of a relatively small, island nation? And how can we all, regardless of our background, take St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity celebrate our own unique roots?
The Legacy of a Saint
As one of the most celebrated saints of the Irish, St. Patrick expressed a universal message and typified one of the most Christ-like traits – loving our enemy. He’d be the first to tell you that no matter what kind of mess you’re in or how many people hate you, growth and transformation is always possible. After he entered the priesthood, he went back to Slane, Ireland, where he had been persecuted and enslaved, to share God’s word.
There are buckets of wisdom in his story if we take the time to sift through it. St. Patrick advocated going deeper and growing wider, even in the darkest of situations. He addressed the core issue of godlessness in society and sought to bring God back to its center. He was bold in his love for others, regardless of its reception. An all-around awesome guy!
Glean the Gold
What exactly do our ethnic origins – whether we’re Irish, Brazilian, Ghanaian or Korean – have to do with who we are today? Father and Mother Moon are huge proponents of honoring our ancestors and elders because it is often they who can inspire us both to take root and to grow:
“When grandparents approach their dying day, do they not pass on all good things to their children? Just as grandparents hand down to their descendants the fruits of their labors, with that kind of heart we should live in a way that enables us to say we will bequeath something to humanity.” (213, 1991.1.20), CSG
Even if you’re not Irish, St. Patrick’s Day is a reminder for us all to explore and celebrate our own ethnic roots – to realize the wisdom latent in not only St. Patrick’s story but in the stories of our unique blend of ancestors. We are reminded of our elders and their golden nuggets of wisdom and advice. We actually find a piece of ourselves through listening to stories of the past, learning from mistakes, and basking in the sepia glow of olden days.
Maybe that’s what all the green on St. Patrick’s Day stands for: a reminder of our natural tendency toward life, love, growth, rebirth – like how a seed, with the love and support of the earth, transforms into a tree. Imagine a tree, heavily laden with lush green leaves on its limbs. What nourishes and supports its strength and vibrancy? What are its roots?
Then again, what are our roots – what’s the legacy that has led to us? What if we could not only honor the new green above, but the old roots below?
This Is My Story. What’s Yours?
I got in touch with my own ethnic roots when I went to Germany in December 2015 to see my 92-year-old grandmother. For the first time ever, I asked her questions about her life – what she learned, what she regretted, what she struggled with, what she was most proud of, what she dreamed of doing. It made me consider all the wisdom of our ancestors and elders that we have yet to glean and grow from.
Honor your roots today and set up an interview with your grandparents or elders to record their story. Call them up or arrange a comfy seating area and ask them honest questions about their lives, values, experiences – let them pass on the golden baton before they pass from this world. My grandmother’s wrinkled face beamed like never before when I showed sincere interest in her life. Let’s show our beloved elders what riches they still have to offer us and the world.