“The husband and the wife should be similar to the hand and the eye. When the hand hurts, the eyes should be crying. And when the eyes cry, the hand should wipe away the tears.”
-St. John Chrysostom
Dear Michael,
On this, the day before you marry your beloved Emma, it is only appropriate to wish you both a lifetime of happiness. It’s hard to believe that the little guy I first met in the Spring of 1999 is about to tie the knot. Where does the time go? Weren’t you just dressed up like Harry Potter, waving a wand, and casting spells on all of us? Wingardium Levioso! Expecto Patronum! And my personal favorite, Expelliarmus! How did we get here so quickly?
As your uncle, it has been a joy watching you grow up—aunts and uncles have a unique perspective. We have seats in the second row to watch the children of our siblings grow up right before our eyes. The bonds between nephews and nieces with their aunts and uncles is a special one, and you and Emma have had some pretty solid role models in those departments, if I don’t say so myself. Of course, I am more than happy to accept being second best to Uncle Pete, who is the ultimate fun uncle—or funcle if you will.
Our Irish heritage provides us with a lot of wonderful things. The music. The brown bread. The Guinness (grateful for the N.A variety). The stories. The craic. And most importantly, the faith. So, in honor of the biggest day of your life tomorrow, here are some of the best Irish Blessings ever written. It’s special that we descendants of Ireland have so many to choose from. Some of them seem more like directives, or advice come to think of it—I guess that’s the Irish way.
May you always walk in sunshine. May you never want for more. May Irish angels rest their wings right beside your door”.
“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.”
“Always remember to forget, The troubles that passed away. But never forget to remember, The blessings that come each day.”
“May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”
“May you live as long as you want, And never want as long as you live”.
“May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, The foresight to know where you are going, And the insight to know when you have gone too far.”
“Here’s to you and yours, And to mine and ours. And if mine and ours, Ever come across you and yours, I hope you and yours will do, As much for mine and ours As mine and ours have done, For you and yours”.
“To live above with the Saints we love, Ah, that is the purest glory. To live below with the Saints we know, Ah, that is another story.”
“May the roof above you never fall in, And those gathered beneath it never fall out.”
“May your troubles be little ones, And your little ones be trouble.”
The list of blessings to choose from is quite extensive, and while they are all wonderful sentiments, they are not personal enough. So, in honor of your wedding day, I thought I would try my hand at penning one myself—here goes.
May you both find the joy and happiness,
Of Ron and Hermione.
May you always be comfortable in any home,
Whether large, mid-sized or tiny.
May you have the same love for each other as did your grandparents,
Whether Karnatz, Mather, Fox or Spear.
May health always be upon you both,
Every hour, day, month and year.
May you have empathy for all those who need it,
And be a support for all those you love.
May the same be returned in both kindness and wit,
From family, friends, and the good Lord above.
And as the music goes on throughout this life,
Well before the last song is played by the band.
May you every day cling tightly to each other,
As God holds you both in the palm of His hand.
Love,
Uncle Tom
Congratulations to the very soon-to-be, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Spear. Slainte!
-Tommy O’Sionnach
*Today’s blog was published a day early at the request of the Mother of the Groom.
A great kickoff to a great weekend. Lovely Thomas. Congratulations Michael and Emma!
Love,
Funcle Pete
Amazing dad!!!