Dear Dad, Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Given your Irish heritage, it’s the day you looked forward to every year. You’d get out your squeezebox and play for all the friends and family who congregated at the house for the annual bash. Today will be the fourteenth time you won’t celebrate with us. You see, we’ve got this wicked virus going around that has caused more of an uproar to our lives than I can ever remember. They call it COVID-19, otherwise known as the Corona Virus.

Windsor - Mar. 17, 2020:

Dear Dad,

Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Given your Irish heritage, it’s the day you looked forward to every year. You’d get out your squeezebox and play for all the friends and family who congregated at the house for the annual bash. We’d laugh, sing and dance, and feast on the meal of corned beef and cabbage that Mom would make for everyone. Those were the days! Since you left us for the great St. Patrick’s Day Bash in the sky, you’ve missed thirteen earthly celebrations of Ireland’s patron saint. Today will be the fourteenth time you won’t celebrate with us. But that’s okay, because it looks like you’re not going to miss much. Pretty much everything we know has either been suspended, cancelled, or closed.

You see, we’ve got this wicked virus going around that has caused more of an uproar to our lives than I can ever remember. They call it COVID-19, otherwise known as the Corona Virus. And I know what you’re thinking. They named a virus after a beer? Not really, and it’s not as funny as the name implies. It’s a respiratory illness, and it’s wreaking havoc on us, causing chaos and uncertainty throughout the world. It’s a pandemic, and it’s hitting hard. Thousands across the world have already died, and there are thousands more that are ill.

All the major sports organizations have cancelled games, and that’s not all. Concerts, gatherings, and meetings have been cancelled. Schools are closed. There are travel bans in place. Workplaces have been affected. Our prime minister is running the country from home. Grocery stores and pharmacies have depleted stock. I went to get groceries this morning, and in the meat section there were four packages of chicken drumsticks. That’s it. No beef, pork or hamburger. Ok, I did see a package of sad looking sausages, but I swear, that was it. And guess what people have been hoarding and fighting over. Toilet paper. Yep. Toilet paper. I used to laugh at Leisa when she came home with more than one package. I’ll never laugh at her again. (For that, anyway.) Thankfully, the LCBO and Beer Store are still open. One of the employees told me “Don’t worry, they’ll put us in Hazmat suits before they shut us down.” Lol. That means Laughing out loud. It’s a texting thing. Never mind. Texting really wasn’t big when you were around, was it? Lmao. Never mind again.

So instead of going out somewhere to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I sit here listening to that 2CD set of Irish music you gave me. The tune right now is Black Velvet Band. (I can still hear Grandma and Grandpa singing it in the living room on Ford Blvd.)

In closing, I’m going to use some of the positivity you shared with me many times. Don’t worry, we’ll get through this. We always do. The sun will rise in the east tomorrow.

But on this day, as well as pretty much every day, I miss you Dad. Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Much love, and Slainte Mhath.

Tim