The Gift of Blarney
Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 6:30AM
When we were leaving Killarney in Ireland, TOG suggested we stop at Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. It sounded like a wonderful side trip and we didn't have to be back in Dublin until late that afternoon. We saw some beautiful countryside along the way. Of course, Ireland is reknowed for it's beauty!
Blarney Castle is awe inspiring. I love the lookout tower next to it. There is still enough of the outer walls of the castle for you to imagine what it looked like hundreds of years ago.
Even though much of the interior is a ruin, it still lends itself to all sorts of whimical thoughts. When you look up and see where the wooden floors would have been and see the granduer of the carved doorways, it just tweaks your imagination... thinking of all those lives that inhabited these walls... the everyday events, the epic occasions... I think it helped that they had a fabulous harpist playing while we waited our turn for the stairs in the corner.
There are no pictures of TOG and I actually kissing the Blarney Stone atop the castle ruin, but it was a fun experience. They had a lovely older man with a thick Irish brogue who helps you lay on your back and lean over to grab the hand holds so you can kiss the stone. I think he said something like "lets see how this lovely kisses in the afternoon" as I was getting in position to lean backwards. But all I could think was how many people had kissed that stone before me and I puckered tightly to make the smallest amount of contact possible!
Where once upon a time the kissing of the Blarney Stone was a symbol of loyalty, somehow, the practice has evolved. Many believe it was supposed to give you the gift of gab. But during our visit, it was explained that the kissing of the stone actually transfers the gift of elequence to the kisser.
A year later, I'm rethinking my approach to the stone. I shouldn't have puckered so tightly. Had I made a little more contact, perhaps I would be a bit more elequent in my daily life.
Maybe the gift at Blarney Castle isn't just elequence, maybe the gift is the reminder to kiss wholeheartedly when the opportunity presents itself.
AG out!
Reader Comments (1)
Kiss more wholeheartedly. Amen.