Saint Patrick’s Day (or St. Paddy’s day as it’s known in my house) has always held a special place in my little Irish heart. With a namesake of ‘Dennihy’ and ‘Kelly’, escaping the world of claddaghs, clovers and celebration was never in the cards for me.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to experience the South’s best incarnation of the Irish tradition with a bachelorette weekend in Savannah, Ga. While the river may no longer be dyed green, the city did go all out for the 189th celebration. Dancing, drinks and debauchery ensued (to a very responsible degree mind you ;)) and we left the weekend with a renewed love for a fantastic southern city and plenty of stories to share.

The bride-to-be and myself

Beyond the green beer and the shamrocks, I’m also reminded of a few great lessons my Irish heritage has lent me over the years.

Never take life too seriously.

Every Saint Patrick’s Day morning growing up we would wake up to find the leprechauns had wreaked havoc around the house by putting pictures on the walls upside down, placing furniture on top of each other and hiding toys within obscure locations. Did it make a giant mess in the house? Yes. Did my siblings and I love it? Of course. When I shared this story with friends this weekend, I learned it wasn’t as common of a tradition as we had assumed years ago, but I love that it’s something the leprechauns my parents always made a priority.

Keep an eye on the road ahead.

I was reminded of this one quite directly this weekend. Note to self, 5-inch wedges are not a great idea for late night cobble stone streets and there should be a medal for making it out of that city without breaking an ankle. On a more serious note, my friends and my family have always supported me to focus on the future. Whether that be placing one foot in front of the other quite literally, or setting goals for the future. Have a plan and then have the flexibility to throw it out the window from time to time.

Find faith through friends and family.

And of maybe a drink to two to share with both. Weekends like this remind me how many awesome people I’m surrounded by day in and day out. It’s every single one of those people that make St. Paddy’s Day, and the other 364 days of the year worth a laugh and a smile.

I’ll leave you with a little Irish blessing that graced the halls of my house growing up, and is one of my personal favorites. I hope everyone (Irish or not) celebrated in their own special way today. Cheers.