Embracing My Heritage

When I was growing up, my dad would wear a bright orange (think traffic cone) zipper hoodie every St. Patrick's Day. He would insist that this was the right color because our family was "Orange Irish." The only thing that I understood about this was that there was some kind of dispute between them and the "Green Irish," but I did not really understand because I didn't really care to know for some reason. I was just embarrassed that my dad would wear that jacket and refuse to wear green. 

About 20 years later, I had a friend at church that embraced his Irish heritage and was wearing a tie that reflected that around St. Patrick's Day. Once, he asked me why I wasn't wearing green, and all I could say was that my dad had taught me that I was "Orange Irish," so the green didn't matter as much. His response was that I must have Irish heritage if I even knew about that because most people haven't delved into history enough to even mention it. I miss that friend. He was a great man. His wife if one of my best friends, and I know she would love me to do something because of my memories of him. 

Last weekend, I asked my dad what being a proud "Orange Irish" meant. He explained the religious persecution our ancestors endured which lead them to Scotland then to America. There is a proud religious heritage in my family that I want to represent. 

Tonight, I did a search on Amazon for an "Orange Irish" shirt. I was shocked that there were several to choose from. I ordered an orange t-shirt with a shamrock that has both the Irish and Scottish flag in it. It should be delivered Thursday, and I will proudly wear it to represent my family and the hardships they endured.