When you think of St. Patrick’s Day, you instantly think about the color green. You have to remind yourself to wear green so you aren’t mercilessly pinched all day. Some folks may look forward to drinking green beer – I personally have not tried it. When my boyfriend and I think about St. Patrick’s Day, we think about something completely different. About 18 years ago on this day, my boyfriend’s father had a heart attack during a performance of the production “Father of the Bride” at a local theater they were involved in at the time. His father died that St. Patrick’s Day 18 years ago, which is why St. Patrick’s Day is now a day to remember his father and celebrate his life. Philip currently does not have any tattoos, but he would like to get a large shamrock tattoo with the Italian flag on his back to honor his father. I absolutely think that that is a great idea, and he is saving up as this tattoo will be pricey due to the size and intricate detail.
However, this year Philip will be in Las Vegas on a guys’ trip, and I will be holding down the fort at home. I have accompanied Philip to visit his father’s grave once before, and I plan to visit his father’s grave this year and leave some flowers. Interestingly enough, his father is buried at the same cemetery that many of my mother’s family members are buried in, particularly my grandmother (my mom’s stepmother) who just recently passed away. I plan to visit my grandmother’s grave as well and leave her flowers. I was hoping that Philip or my parents would be available to accompany me, but I will be going on this adventure by myself. My mind has been made up :).
For me, St. Patrick’s Day is a reminder of a traumatic incident when I was 20. Long story short, St. Patrick’s Day is the birthday of the man who mistreated me while we were dating (to put it nicely). It may sound odd, but it just triggers bad memories. This traumatic incident may have been the cause of the fibromyalgia, but I don’t have a way to be sure. I also cannot drink due to prescription medication so St. Patrick’s Day just doesn’t appeal to me.
To end on a positive note, I am an Irish ginger, and I do look pretty good in green if I do say so myself ;).
-The Dramatic Ginger
A Ginger and Her Chronic Illness Journey 