Top ‘O The Mornin’ To Ya Just a Girl Trying to Remember Her Dad
I was three years old when my great aunt passed away, but I can remember her like I truly knew her for a life-time. Even though the actual memories with her were few, she lives on in the handful of photos our family keeps around, her heirlooms and trinkets kept close, and most of all through the stories my family has shared with me, since I was little!
Their love of her pours through every detail in each story shared, and I want to do the same for my kiddos, so that they will remember their grandpa like he was just holding them close yesterday, even though they never met, (at least not on this timeline). That is where this goofy green jacket comes into play!
My dad LOVED St. Paddy’s Day, and it was his Life’s Work to embarrass me! But, for those not in the know, a little context…
EVERY SINGLE YEAR, my dad would rock this green jacket, with it’s matching pants, dress army green button-down shirt, leprechaun bowtie, shinny beaded necklace, and whatever else he could add to his ensemble. He would wear it to drop me off at elementary school, skipping his way down the sidewalk, and then with his utter lack of shame, he would strut right into work, proudly displaying his green like a peacock fan its tail. Being new to my school, and in general, just too cool for his nonsense, I was MORTIFIED with every skip we made closer to the door (mortified in that: “oh dad! Eye roll, but secretly liking the attention sort of way”). Of course, my protests only egged him on!
Well here we are, 33 years later from that first skip towards my elementary school, and I miss those days more than I can put into words. I miss his willingness to set aside any pride in the pursuit of smiles! I miss my dad’s ridiculously embarrassing antics, and all I can do is pass them on! So, when my mom came across his iconic leprechaun suit while cleaning up her closet one day, it was destined to come home with me! The pants didn’t fit, but the jacket did, so I knew we had to revitalize a hibernating tradition!
The first time I slipped on the jacket, I heard a rattle in the pockets, only to discover my dad’s bowtie & shiny shamrock necklace waiting there for me to discover! I could just see his grin, as I found them, and slipped them on! I added my own little twist with my boutique’s first ever St. Paddy’s Day leggings collection, and a crazy top hat, and a tradition to share the story with my friends inside the boutique, but my FAVORITE PART of this story, (UNTIL this morning), was…
That Cora & Ada get JUST AS EXCITED for St. Paddy’s Day, as my dad! The night before, they line up their green outfits, adding all the shamrocks & green accessories they can find! Then last year, Cora came to me and said: “You are wearing grandpa’s jacket, right?! And the leggings, right?!” Somehow, I thought she might be outgrowing it and not want me to wear it to the bus stop, but she was adamant, that “The Suit” was a requirement! My heart smiled, and then I giggled at the irony and the thought of my dad laughing at the situation!
Cut to THIS YEAR’S St. Paddy’s Day, and my new favorite St. Paddy’s Day Memory, featuring the irony of life:
Last night we all gathered our green outfit pieces, even Tam got in on the act, without being instructed to do so (swoon 🥰). Then this AM, there was a discussion about whether or not I needed to wear a jacket to the bus stop, to which Cora, promptly instructed that: “IF I HAD to wear a jacket to the bus stop this AM, you BETTER wear the full outfit without a jacket at the afternoon bus stop!” I conceded and we decided that I could forgo the jacket if we stayed on the porch blocked by the wind for a little bit. There we stood on the front porch chatting about grandpa’s outfit, and retelling his St. Paddy’s Day stories, when I asked the girls: “SHOULD WE SKIP TO THE BUS STOP?!”
I was shocked and delighted that they both said yes, but the circle of life was completed when Cora and I broke out in an all out skip while holding hands… Ada managed 1 foot into the skip, when she promptly resumed her “cool girl” walk and let slip: “OH MY GOOOOSH 😳” Cora and I managed to resurrect that “my parents are so embarrassing” feeling, with our St. Paddy’s Day Skip! We all doubled over with laughter as I told Ada that she just experienced what I felt skipping with grandpa as a kid in First Grade, and that her “OH MY GOOOSH!” MADE MY DAY!
Sometimes irony is sweet!💜💜💜