There has been talk on Cassie’s side of our family of going on a ‘heritage’ trip after we lost Grandma a few years ago. She was so proud of her Irish heritage, what that heritage meant to the Butte community, and we wanted to honor her memory by visiting some of the places she spoke about. Finally, the stars- and our schedules- aligned.
While I’m still reflecting on my experiences in Europe, one already stands out in my mind.
We ventured to the same cemetery Cassie’s grandmother had described in a diary we have. She visited it 50 years ago on her own trip. It was the place where her grandparents were buried and as you can imagine, meant a lot to her.
The cemetery is perched on a hill overlooking the rocky shoreline and surrounds the ruins of an age-old church on the Beara Peninsula in Southwest Ireland. It is postcard beautiful, exactly what you imagine the Irish countryside to be.
In the space between two stones of the church’s remaining walls, we left a memento of Grandma’s. A tiny piece of her together again with her family. On the way out, I was compelled to pause and take a moment to recognize the beauty, peace, and connection there. I sent a moment of gratitude into the cool Irish wind that afternoon.
The next morning, I opened up my browser to see a delegation from the Beara Historical Society was in uptown Butte, a group from the exact area where I was. Their trip aimed at continuing the relationship and legacy between the two places.
The same day, thousands of miles apart, both groups celebrating and honoring our shared pasts.
Sometimes you’re reminded how great and big and beautiful our world is. And how wonderfully close we all truly are.
~Jon
