03/17/2026
A Sober St. Patrick’s Day Reflection - by Jennifer F.
If you ask most people what comes to mind when they think of St. Patrick's Day. They will probably say the color green and drinking. I don’t know why March 17th became a day synonymous with excess alcohol. But the Irish have been known to imbibe. And according to 23 and Me I’m 99.6% Irish. That was on a long list of justifications I used to excuse my excessive drinking. The truth is I never partook in the pub scene on St. Patrick's Day. I was an alcoholic long before I was old enough to enter a bar. By the time I was 21, I considered those folks part-timers that ruined the holiday. Afterall, I drank that much every day. The truth is I was jealous of people that could go out with friends and enjoy the occasional overindulgence. By the time I was in my 20’s I had started to push all my family and friends away with my drinking. They knew I had a problem and they didn’t like being around it. My solution to this problem was not letting them see me drink. Cue, drinking in my bedrrom, sneaking to the bathroom and drinking in my car. Nobody was fooled but everybody played along. Because it was just easier that way. But St. Patricks Day was different. I used it as an excuse to drink out in the open. I’m celebrating my heritage afterall. I still didn’t drink outside the house mind you. When your a fall down drunk there is always a possibilty of arrests, injury or public humiliation. But I got to drink in the kitchen while making Irish stew. A bottle of Irish Creme polished off before noon. I baked beer bread. And even though I hate the taste of beer, I drank that too. By the time dinner was finished, I had no interest in actually eating it. After I got sober I ignored St. Patricks Day. My family would ask if I was going to make Irish stew. I would think, whats the point? Cooking just seemed like another chore. And holidays always seemed risky. Like just the mere date on the calender risked my sobriety. As the years went by I slowly became more and more comfortable. I picked up hobbies and interests that made me happy. Even cooking became slightly more enjoyable. I remembered how music lifted my spirits, how working out gave me confidence. Triggers became few and far between and I started to look forward to holidays. This year my morning drinking will be green smoothies. I’ll be wearing green and dancing around to my favorite Irish music (Flogging Molly and The Pogues). My kids will be embarrassed of my dance moves not me inebriation. I’ll make Irish Stew and maybe even try a new recipe. I’ve never made Colcannon before. And it's about time I did. Because I’m 99.6% Irish!🍀🇮🇪💫
