Things come in cycles. Recently I have been in an Irish cycle!
One night I woke up thinking about my dad in Ireland. I have not seen him since my brothers wedding in 2001. We talk regularly on the phone. He has never met Lily or Laura. I have a plan to go back when my youngest can read, but I don't know if I can wait that long. I want my kids to experience the good things there.
At least my mum just booked a flight over, she’ll be here in June. My kids know her well as she has come for 6 months for the birth of each of my babies. Bless that woman - so willing to walk the night with a crying baby, do laundry, dishes and read books endlessly to sooth my older children shaken up by all the newness of baby and tired & pre-occupied mommy.
Anyhow, on Saturday a homeschool girl from our church gave me a few questions about Ireland for an immigration project she was doing. It was fun to reflect on Ireland a little and give her a picture of my home.
One question she asked was ‘How is Ireland similar to America?’ I wrote (remember these are reflections for a 9 year old):
Ireland has all the modern conveniences – roads, cars, shops, television. The houses are much smaller than in America. The roads are much smaller, the towns smaller. Most people got to the store to buy fresh food everyday. There are supermarkets where you can get all your foods, but also small specialty shops to get individual foods, like a butcher to get meat, vegetable shop to get fresh veggies, bakery to get the bread. We have shops called Newsagents that sell only magazines and candy and of course newspapers (some sell small gifts and cards). Most street corners have a newsagent. The best chocolate is Galaxy!
In the suburbs the houses are semi-detached, that means that two houses have one common wall. More well-to-do folks have free standing houses. In the city the houses are joined together in terraces, many of the doors are brightly painted. Most people live in the suburbs and commute to work on the bus, train or car. The cars are half the size of American cars!
The climate is still a little dreary and damp. The months of April, May and June are the brightest and freshest. It gets dark at 4pm in winter, but stays light until 11pm in the summer.
She wanted to know few Irish traditions:
Kids play ‘Pass the Parcel’ at parties.
The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day and it is considered a holiday.
Workers are given ‘Bank Holidays’ almost every month, when they don’t have to go to work on a Monday.
When the Ireland soccer team is playing in the World Cup the whole country shuts down and everyone watched the game.
At Easter parents give their kids giant Easter eggs with are big chocolate egg shells filled with candy.
The she asked ‘What is better in America?
Freedom! The Irish pay much more in taxes to the government than Americans. In Ireland you can’t homeschool. America is bigger in every way and there is much more opportunity to follow your dream and live the life you want to. Commerce works more smoothly in America and the service you receive in stores is generally better.
It is fun to reflect on a life I lived so far away.
