An Irish Family

Us Irish folk tend to get a wee bit sentimental around St. Patrick's Day, and then for some reason, we tell long winded stories. We also tend to over-indulge in the spirits and usually forget what story we were telling, nonetheless, indulge me if you will, as I share a story I wrote for my two son's a decade ago.....................and trust me, I'll be back to my usual self tomorrow.

These pictures have nothing to do with this blog, I just kinda like them.

Dear Son,

Do you remember the story that I used to tell you about Emmett O'Malley. Maybe it's time to refresh your memory. In a country called Ireland, in a county called Cork, there lived a family called the O'Malley's. Three generations of O'Malley's lived in a large cluster of charming field stone cottages on top of a hill overlooking a valley. At family celebrations, the entire clan would gather at Grandpa Seamus' home, which sat right in the middle of all the other cottages. On one such occasion, Grandpa Seamus was entertaining all the kids with tales of Irish folk lore. When he finished, he took turns asking all the children what they wanted to do once they were fully grown. A farmer said one, a singer said another, a story-teller, a pub owner, a doctor, and the children went on and on. All the children answered, all the children, except young Emmett.

After the children went about doing other things, Grandpa Seamus grabbed Emmett, put him upon his lap and said " and Emmett me fine lad, what is it that you wish to be when you're a grown man?" Emmett looked square into his grandpa's eyes and said "Grandpa Seamus, when I grow up, I wish to be the richest man in all of Ireland." Grandpa Seamus smiled and said, "tis that a fact, so the richest man in all of Ireland you wish to be, aye me lad?" "Indeed I do" said Emmett. A twinkle came to his eye, and a grin to his face as he told young Emmett that he knew the secret to becoming the richest man in all of Ireland.

Emmett's eyes opened wide as he said "you do, why please tell me grandpa, please tell." Grandpa Seamus looked at Emmett quite seriously and said, "Emmett sweet lad, have you heard the tale that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?" "Why of course" said Emmett, "tis it true grandpa?" Grandpa Seamus nodded his head and replied, "Indeed it is Emmett. All you must do is get to the end of that rainbow and you will find your pot of gold, and I assure you lad, you will be the richest man in all of Ireland."

A few days later the rain came. As the rain was letting up, the sun began to shine, and a beautiful rainbow appeared. It stretched out from above his head, clear across the valley, and over to the other hillside. Emmett set out to find his pot of gold, and become the richest man in all of Ireland. Emmett hadn't gotten far, when the mist subsided and the rainbow suddenly disappeared. He would not get to the end of the rainbow that day. Emmett would try again and again. First he jogged, but to no avail. Then he ran, the result the same. He would try by mule, then by bicycle, yet still he couldn't reach the end of the rainbow. His childhood years and his teenage years would pass, but Emmett kept trying to get to the end of the rainbow. He wanted desperately to find that pot of gold and become the richest man in all of Ireland.

As time passed, Emmett took a wife and became a father. He built himself his own cottage in the thick of the cluster and worked along side his kin on the family farm. Grandpa Seamus became Great Grandpa Seamus, yet he remained quick as a whip and stayed as fit as a fiddle. Emmett still hadn't given up hope. When the next rain came, Emmett decided he would be ready. One morning he was awakened by thunder. He quickly got dressed and made his way through the rain and into the barn. He sat himself on top of his motorcycle and waited with hopes that a rainbow would appear. As the sun began to rise from beneath the valley; the most beautiful rainbow that Emmett had ever seen rose in the sky. Emmett followed that rainbow right from his barn, clear across the valley, and over to the other hillside. Emmett raced along on his motorcycle. He was more than half way there when he realized he'd never made it this far before. He began talking to the rainbow, please don't disappear he yelled to the sky. The rainbow heard him, and Emmett made it to the other hillside while the rainbow stood bright in the sky. Emmett got off the motorcycle and hurriedly looked all over for the pot of gold. Where is it grandpa, he said to himself. I've made it to the end of the rainbow, where is it, where is the pot of gold. Emmett search frantically, yet he saw no pot of gold. Had his grandpa lied to him, or did someone else beat him to it?

Emmett looked back up to the sky to ensure that he was at the end of the rainbow. His eyes slowly followed the beautiful colors up, and up, and then over across the valley. Finally, he followed the colors back down, and as his eyes reached the bottom of the rainbow he simply stared. What he saw were the roof tops of a cluster of field stone cottages, all of which were occupied, by members of his family. He had never seen a rainbow from this vantage point. And now that he had, he finally understood what Grandpa Seamus was talking about. You see, Emmett never considered that there were two ends of a rainbow. For all these years Emmett was looking for his pot of gold at the wrong end of the rainbow. It was only then that Emmett realized that he was ever so fortunate to have a strong, caring family. A wonderful wife, an adorable child, brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, all of whom loved him so very much. It was that very day that Emmett O'Malley finally made it to the end of the rainbow.

He knew in his heart that he did find that pot of gold, and yes, he realized that he was the richest man in all of Ireland.

.

It took me awhile to realize it, but I am Emmett O'Malley.

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I hope one day that you are too.
.

Love Dad

This picture does mean something. It's the outfit that the lovely Mrs. Lynch will be wearing when I get home tonight!

Marty Lynch

The King Pin

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