Jan 5 Ciar

Thom and John
Good Morning, I love you

We can’t help ourselves; we’re Irish; Irish Catholic; Irish Catholic from New York City – that’s your patri-lineage and there’s more than a dose of Irish from your other side. You are who you are in large part because you’re Irish. Thus, the importance of the Irish saints, even the more obscure ones: no small part of our heritage: our collective unconscious. (It takes a bit to read Jung but it’s worth it.)

January 5

Ciar 7th century



Also called Cior, Cyra, or Ceara. In any oral history, names change to fit the nimbleness of the seanachie’s eloquence. Just like Jack is called John; Thom called Thommy; me? Bill except for growing up it was Billy – listen closely to Aunts and Uncles, it still is Billy for some; there was also a period in Jr Hi when it was Willy to some of my teammates – until I persuaded the ring leader of the name calling; you never fully know what happens at the bottom of a pile up until you’ve been there.


Ciar was born in Tipperary. We are known by where we are born. You were born in Nashville. The story of how it was Nashville and not New Orleans is worth a discussion. Why it was not New York City is a better story. You are from Nashville but, thanks be to God, you were baptized, reborn, born in Jesus and the Church, in New York City. You’re a native nashvillian with a New York City pedigree. We are also defined by where we are born. How does Nashville define you? It is still the largest portion of your life. But as a mere way station in a journeyman’s itinerary, Nashville is but a place not the genes, not the collective unconscious.

Ciara served as abbess of a monastery at Kilkeary and another one at Tehelly. This woman must have been something! To be an abbess in 7th c. Ireland was to function like a bishop in a community; higher ranking than the former druids and eye ball to eye ball with the local Ri. She was called to two towns to lead the monastery, which, not unlikely, was a community of men and women. Find yourself an Irish woman to be your abbess-wife in life. She will serve you. She will lead you. She will make sure you be all that you can be: and more than you ever imagined. Anyone else will fall short; as will that union. But, hey, I’m prejudiced. [and experienced. One reason to know your father better is to learn how to avoid the mistakes I made and your are destined to make by genes and imprinting.]

I love you,
Dad
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