Luck, Legacy, and Leadership
By Robert L. Thomas Jr.
Do you believe in luck? If an individual hits the lottery or if a basketball player makes a last-second, game-winning shot, are those people lucky? Or is destiny playing a part?
This month all across the world, people will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. There will be cities all colored in green, parades and music festivals. Individuals of Irish descent will be celebrating their heritage and wearing apparel decorated with shamrocks or saying things like, “Kiss me, I’m Irish.” Some might say this is when they feel the luckiest, but you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy this festive day.
While most use this holiday to wear green and drink Guinness beer, some may not know the origin of St. Patrick’s Day. Looking back at history, the Feast of Saint Patrick, or simply St. Patrick’s Day, is a religious and cultural holiday held on March 17. It commemorates the death of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland.
Although Patrick was born to a wealthy family in Roman Britain, it’s said that during the fifth century, he was kidnapped and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he found his spiritual calling. Following his escape from his captors, Patrick made his way home and went on to become a priest. He eventually returned to Ireland, where he spread his Christian faith. In his teachings,
Patrick used the traditions and symbols of the Celtic people, including a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.
St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated for more than 1,000 years, however, a lot of the traditions that we’re accustomed to now were not part of the original celebrations. In actuality, drinking beer was banned.
Many other folktales have carried over from earlier times. For example, believing that if you caught a leprechaun, you would inherit his pot of gold; if you wore green that it would make you invisible to leprechauns; or if you kissed the Blarney Stone, you would have the gifts of good luck and eloquence.
By now, many of you are probably saying, “What does this have to do with Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)?” Or, “Thank you for the history lesson, but I already know the meaning behind St. Patrick’s Day.”
This holiday symbolizes luck to me and reminds me of how fortunate we are to have PVA forefathers with the vision to create an organization that would help veterans navigate their new world after a spinal cord injury or disease.
It affected their lives, and that drove them to advocate for themselves and their fellow brothers and sisters. They set the path and made life easier for all those facing these challenges.
So, let me know, is this luck or just our divine destiny?
