Dear Kid,

Next Monday is Saint Patrick’s Day. This is very important because it is a marvelous time to get serious about looking for leprechauns.

Leprechauns are pretty interesting little dudes. In addition to keeping all their gold in the End of the Rainbow bank, they spend all their time making shoes (now do you see why I like them so much? Shoes and a hefty bank account. What’s not to love?)

Leprechauns are solitary creatures and not at all fond of being captured by humans. If one should be lucky enough to capture a leprechaun, the leprechaun will grant you three wishes in exchange for being set free. One must be particularly careful about choosing those wishes, Oh Best Beloved, because leprechauns are known for being practical jokers.

You have my full permission to begin searching for leprechauns now. If you catch one, I’ll be happy to offer my advice about the three wishes.

Luck o' the Irish and other Irish Sayings DearKidLoveMom.comIn the meantime, you might want to practice your Irish phrases for next week so that you will not be stuck with saying “Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya” all day long. Here are five really good ones.

May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far.

You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your father was.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures.

Forgetting a debt doesn’t mean it’s paid.

May you get all your wishes but one, so that you will always have something to strive for!

and one bonus phrase in case you encounter anyone who is prone to using the phrases “it is a fact” when (in fact) it isn’t.

Pity him who makes an opinion a certainty.

Love, Mom