Ancestry Smamcestry

My ancestors were poor Irish Catholic farmers. For generations the equation remained the same – toil in the fields by day, drink by night, and repent your sins on Sunday. I recently began to ask - How many generations does it take before some of the traditions begin to get diluted?

What’s the harm in watering down a few lessons passed down to me and making them my own? One lesson is the do it-yourself mentality. I can hear the echoes now: “If your hands aren’t broke why would you pay someone to wash your floors?” This do-it-yourself standard has dominated my behavior my entire life. I still wash my own car, scrub my own toilets, and make most meals from scratch. Until recently, that is. I’ve been trying to practice what I preach and embrace simplicity. And if that means hiring a cleaner from time to time to scrub the floors so I can spend treasured time with those nearest and dearest to me, then so be it.* So here’s to setting down that mop (for this week, at least!) and enjoying a glass of wine.

* Warning: Be careful not to add too much water or you could lose the tradition altogether. Add just enough to make it your own. Hold onto the aspects of the tradition that bring you joy and toss out the parts that do not align with the life of your dreams.