St. Patrick’s Day is a lovely time, when people good-naturedly say ‘everyone is Irish’.

What is it about the Irish culture and people that draw us so? It’s a tiny island on the edge of Europe. But the Irish have infiltrated many people’s lives indelibly. I know it has mine. I feel at home in Ireland more than any place in the world. It’s my soul’s home, mo anam bhaile.

I first set foot on Ireland on my first real vacation, 20 years ago. I felt balanced there, a home I never knew but always yearned for. The land itself welcomed me with open arms, and I’ve gone back many times. I hope to live there someday.

Is the land itself alive? Of course it is. It is teeming with life, both seen and unseen. It is a magic in and of itself, and it knows those that belong…