Happy St. Brigit's Day - the beginning of Spring in the Irish traditional calendar, presided over by the wonderful St. Brigit.
So glad to be with you here today - for the first time or the fiftieth. Welcome, new friends, and welcome back, dear seasoned friends! Thank you for your presence and for taking an interest in my words, music, and ideas. I'm honored and grateful!
She's a champion - a solver of riddles and soother of heartaches, a bringer of peace, and a tireless worker on behalf of life.
AND, as I suggest in this poem: she shouldn't have to do it all alone.
Brigit is Weary
Brigit is weary
of walking the world,
blessing the cloth
hung out in the night,
coaxing the babies
safe from the wombs,
purifying wells
whose gift is clear sight.
Brigit is weary
of laying the fires,
baking the oat farls,
wetting the tea,
sweeping the hearth
so the fáilte is ready,
singing the hymns
to inspire you and me.
Brigit, come in now
and sit by our fire.
All of us eager
to love and to serve,
all of us eager
to care for you gently,
to grant you the rest
you so richly deserve.
Let each of us here
be a Brigit in training,
sparking the world
with her love and her art.
Let each of us here
be a Brigit of blessing –
let ours be the journey,
the work, and the heart.
---Kate Chadbourne
She’s best friend to the Virgin Mother and midwife to Jesus.
She’s a friend to animals everywhere who, in turn, adore her.
One of the most exciting ideas for me lately is this: folklore offers us an invitation to live with more humanity and vitality.
It’s not inert. It is handed down because it works.
It’s certainly not just something interesting tucked away in a book – certainly not to the communities that lived and told these tales.
To them, and potentially to us, Brigit represents the very best of humanity that helps, feeds, soothes, comforts, solves, and sets right.
Brigit has given us her example and now it falls to us to act on it.
And remember, if you are tired, sometimes this means extending that Brigit-y kindness to yourself. Curl up under your own version of "Brigit's cloak" and rest (and see my poem, "Brigit Told Me" linked just below).
It might mean offering a cuppa or a scone to a friend or neighbor.
It might mean refusing to gossip.
It might mean encouraging someone to hold fast to their dreams.
It might mean cleaning up trash or mending something rather than throwing it away.
It might mean laying down your side of an old argument.
It might mean listening to someone who's going through a hard time.
Some of the amazing students in my “Cailleach Conspiracy” course are planting bee-friendly plants to encourage pollinators. Others are writing songs to teach their families about their heritage. Still others are reconnecting with long-lost relatives or leading people on walks on their local trails. I adore these people and feel so grateful for their example of folklore-in-action.
There are so many ways we can each be “a Brigit in training.”
If you’re inspired to write, I’d love to hear how YOU are doing this. I’ll be honored to cheer you on:
kate@katechadbourne.com. I love hearing from you!
Saluting all the ways you spark the world, dear friends -
warmly,
Kate
PS - Below, you'll find a calendar of upcoming concerts. Friends, I'm so excited to come out in the world again to tell stories and sing songs! There's also a new blog post (perfect for proverb lovers), some good books to check out, and a little present at the end.
PPS - Yes, it's too early for snowdrops. This beauty is from last year. But as it's the flower most associated with Brigit, I thought we'd have an early one here.
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