An Old Irish Blessing

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“May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!”

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “blessing” as “a thing conducive to happiness or welfare.” The word was developed from the Old English “blǣdsian”. It also appeared in the Anglo-Saxon pagan period as “blēdsian”, it means to make sacred or holy by a sacrificial custom that commonly involves blood shedding or to mark with blood. The modern meaning may have been derived from the translation of the Bible from Latin to Old English. The Latin word “benedīcere” meaning “to speak well of” was translated in Old English “to bless.”

Irish blessings are part of an Old Irish tradition. Although they are a thing of the past, they have spread across the world and are being used in ceremonies such as weddings, housewarmings, and funerals. The purpose of giving blessings is to provide assurance and express good will.

Recently, a study by Dr. Masaru Emoto showed that good words and positive feelings have an effect on water molecules. By observing frozen water crystals, he came to the conclusion that water exposed to good words, good music, good pictures, and words of praises, form unique, beautiful crystals. More interestingly, water exposed to negative words such as “you make me sick” form incomplete, asymmetrical forms. The study suggests that feelings, thoughts, and attitudes affect the physical world.

Blessing may be a thing of the past but the healing effects of kind words are irrevocable. As prolific composer John McLeod said, “Kind words are such a blessing to the needful, if one but knew the pleasure they bring.”