While admiring your erudition and your love for Irish folklore and tradition, I also respond very much to the gentleness and sincerity of your personality and presentations, Kate. This is what I need much more of in my life, for comfort and consolation. Thank you so much.
Pauline, your words mean the world to me. I am overjoyed that you are finding gentleness here and comfort. I'm so grateful to you for telling me. Every blessing to you!
One of my favorite Irish stories and so happy to hear you tell it again! Thank you for doing this work to share these beautiful bits of folk wisdom from the Irish!
It's cause for celebration when I "see" you anywhere - in a classroom, out and about, or here online. Thank you for dropping in for a visit and for your generous words. Sending a big hug to you and your dear young artists, too!
What an inspiring story. We need more stories about bravery to look up to in good times as well as in hard times. That does not always mean the story has to be overcoming impossible odds or doing great deeds of valor, those have their place and are very important, but It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary people that keep darkness in check. Small acts of kindness and courage. Thank you for sharing and I can't wait for next week's video!
Beautifully expressed: "it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary people that keep darkness in check. Small acts of kindness and courage." YES. I love everything you've shared here. We DO need these good stories just to remind us of who we most long to be. I'm so grateful for your presence here and for taking this story to heart. Thank you, too, for your eagerness for these videos. That gives me such a dose of encouragement and joy!
I can't get enough of your Irish stories, and love how you invite us into them through the contexts and through the retellings. Another value I came away in this one is the willingness to accept life's messiness. There was no expectation that both the cow and the little girl could live. And now there is no guarantee that the little girl will remain pure and blameless in every way. Thanks for asking us to think beyond the obvious value of people first -- which IS wonderful and refreshing in itself.
I'm so grateful for your thoughtful comment and very kind words about my telling! I'm glad that this story moved you AND encouraged you to think. I feel the same way and I come to it again and again, in large part as a model of feeling and generosity. I love what you are taking from this tale - "to accept life's messiness" - and think you've put your finger right on the pulse of it.
Bridie Way an Irish lady asked me to take care of her two Siamese cats. Lady and King. They bounced off the walls and I was fearful of them but they were not of me! When I was sleeping in the bed the cats squeezed between the sheets, you never saw someone jump up so fast and ran to the washroom in fear!
Thank you for this tale. My song circles are like a family gathering. I try to make sure I respect that everyone has varying needs for being there, beyond sharing a song or a poem. Some to express their feelings. Some to be heard. Some as a distraction. I try to help people get what they need.
You always offer a warm FAILTE wherever you are, a Mhicheail, and I know that's true with your song circles. I like what you say about acknowledging the different needs of each person - that these needs often go beyond the music itself. Tuning into that requires sensitivity, and just like in this great story, the willingness to put people first, again and again. You do this - I know firsthand!
I'm used to German fairy tales which do not always have a happy ending so I was holding my breath at the end there and sighed with relief 😅. Thank you for explaining what the loss of a cow meant at that time. At first, I thought the point of the story was "it's just money". Your explanation was illuminating. 😊
Oh, I'm so glad that my explanation made sense to you! I always feel it's important to step out of the narrative flow to explain that; otherwise, the choice seems ridiculously simple! Thank you so much for shining your light over here and for your lovely words of encouragement!
Even though Irish culture is known for an incorporation of the 'otherworld' it's fascinating how tales like this one are so rooted in the value of what is human (in this case even overriding the bean feasa :) Much gratitude to you Kate for continuing to share them 💚💙💜
Yes, you're so right: a truly human tale here about how to be a good human. AND the very stones of the hearth, that most human of home places, announce their approbation when the stepmother makes the right choice. Thank you so much for your reflection, a chara, and for your kindness and encouragement.
@@katechadbournebard One other thing that struck me about this story (this morning -- it's still resonating :) is that it's a transcending of the 'either/or' and entrance into the possibility of 'both and' ❤
Well I'm just gladdened to hear a good stepmother story. In popular culture, it appears to me, the evil stepmother is given prominence. My second wife was a very kind and nurturing stepmother to my previous daughters. When we produced a son I was careful to spend individual time with my daughters so as they didn't feel left behind. Inasmuch I was enraptured in that precious newborn glow, as indeed my daughters were, I made to keep doing the special things unique to us. 🍀🙏🍀
That's a beautiful example of creating a family with great care, awareness, and love, and thank you so much for sharing it! It really strikes me that the possibility here, the marvelous invitation, is to create MORE love - and it sounds like that's exactly what you all did together. Hats off to loving stepmothers, stepfathers, stepchildren, and blended families everywhere who take this invitation to love each other.
This was a very special story to hear. Thank you very much for it. I actually thought back to the Genesis story of Abraham, and how he was told by God or a messenger of God to sacrifice his son, the child Issac, by burning him as an offering (as they did habitually with sheep at that time and place). Abraham had a heavy heart, but believed he must follow the instructions of God and prepared to do so. (In church, the preaching nowadays is often that this following of God even to the point of killing one's child is exemplary for us---something I never can find peace with.) At the last minute, the hand of an angel saved the child in the Biblical story, however---which leads to more positive values we can glean from the story as a whole. However, in this Irish story, the stepmother (unlike Abraham) does not follow the instructions received from the Wise Woman which appear to be divinely inspired. She follows instead her deeper instinct or practice of love.
Yes to all of this. And I believe that the wise woman framed this as a choice between two difficult options so that the family could make this powerful choice to do the right thing and become stronger as a result. Love is always the answer, isn't it?
This was a very wise person she found the words without blessing her it shows their are mene was to a problem it's in the way you approach them. I love the way these stories are handed down if it was not for people like you it would be lots for ever. So I thank you so much for sharing 😊 have a wonderful day.
Thank you so much for your kind words and for loving the story, too. I agree with you completely that she was very wise. May we and all of us be as wise and loving!
May God Bless you. I married into a family that is always at odds with each other and I tried to very hard for this not to happen to my family, but to no avail , they are jealous and they don't appreciate each other. But I will continue to pray that one day they will wake up.
You're right: there's often a rock-and-a-hard-place choice to be made. But Irish tradition comes down EVERY TIME on choosing people: a great lesson for us, I think.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank God for the Irish. ☘️ And I love that you keep the Irish language, stories, proverbs, and traditions alive.
Thank you so much for your kindness and encouragement. So grateful that you're here!
While admiring your erudition and your love for Irish folklore and tradition, I also respond very much to the gentleness and sincerity of your personality and presentations, Kate. This is what I need much more of in my life, for comfort and consolation. Thank you so much.
Pauline, your words mean the world to me. I am overjoyed that you are finding gentleness here and comfort. I'm so grateful to you for telling me. Every blessing to you!
thanks for this story.
My pleasure, and thank you for listening!
One of my favorite Irish stories and so happy to hear you tell it again! Thank you for doing this work to share these beautiful bits of folk wisdom from the Irish!
It's cause for celebration when I "see" you anywhere - in a classroom, out and about, or here online. Thank you for dropping in for a visit and for your generous words. Sending a big hug to you and your dear young artists, too!
What an inspiring story. We need more stories about bravery to look up to in good times as well as in hard times. That does not always mean the story has to be overcoming impossible odds or doing great deeds of valor, those have their place and are very important, but It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary people that keep darkness in check. Small acts of kindness and courage. Thank you for sharing and I can't wait for next week's video!
Beautifully expressed: "it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary people that keep darkness in check. Small acts of kindness and courage." YES. I love everything you've shared here. We DO need these good stories just to remind us of who we most long to be. I'm so grateful for your presence here and for taking this story to heart. Thank you, too, for your eagerness for these videos. That gives me such a dose of encouragement and joy!
Love 💕
I can't get enough of your Irish stories, and love how you invite us into them through the contexts and through the retellings. Another value I came away in this one is the willingness to accept life's messiness. There was no expectation that both the cow and the little girl could live. And now there is no guarantee that the little girl will remain pure and blameless in every way. Thanks for asking us to think beyond the obvious value of people first -- which IS wonderful and refreshing in itself.
I'm so grateful for your thoughtful comment and very kind words about my telling! I'm glad that this story moved you AND encouraged you to think. I feel the same way and I come to it again and again, in large part as a model of feeling and generosity. I love what you are taking from this tale - "to accept life's messiness" - and think you've put your finger right on the pulse of it.
Bridie Way an Irish lady asked me to take care of her two Siamese cats. Lady and King. They bounced off the walls and I was fearful of them but they were not of me! When I was sleeping in the bed the cats squeezed between the sheets, you never saw someone jump up so fast and ran to the washroom in fear!
Thank you for this tale. My song circles are like a family gathering. I try to make sure I respect that everyone has varying needs for being there, beyond sharing a song or a poem. Some to express their feelings. Some to be heard. Some as a distraction. I try to help people get what they need.
You always offer a warm FAILTE wherever you are, a Mhicheail, and I know that's true with your song circles. I like what you say about acknowledging the different needs of each person - that these needs often go beyond the music itself. Tuning into that requires sensitivity, and just like in this great story, the willingness to put people first, again and again. You do this - I know firsthand!
I'm used to German fairy tales which do not always have a happy ending so I was holding my breath at the end there and sighed with relief 😅.
Thank you for explaining what the loss of a cow meant at that time. At first, I thought the point of the story was "it's just money". Your explanation was illuminating. 😊
Oh, I'm so glad that my explanation made sense to you! I always feel it's important to step out of the narrative flow to explain that; otherwise, the choice seems ridiculously simple! Thank you so much for shining your light over here and for your lovely words of encouragement!
My dad arrived in Ireland from America and he was a widower. He met and married my mom and had a large family. 🎉
Even though Irish culture is known for an incorporation of the 'otherworld' it's fascinating how tales like this one are so rooted in the value of what is human (in this case even overriding the bean feasa :) Much gratitude to you Kate for continuing to share them 💚💙💜
Yes, you're so right: a truly human tale here about how to be a good human. AND the very stones of the hearth, that most human of home places, announce their approbation when the stepmother makes the right choice. Thank you so much for your reflection, a chara, and for your kindness and encouragement.
@@katechadbournebard One other thing that struck me about this story (this morning -- it's still resonating :) is that it's a transcending of the 'either/or' and entrance into the possibility of 'both and' ❤
@@amherst88 Yes! The best choices - ones made from love - open the door to this expansion and generosity. Thank you for this!
Grma for sharing and making it avaliable 🎉
@@lucymruane fáilte romhat ó’m chroí a Lúsaí a chara!
Well I'm just gladdened to hear a good stepmother story. In popular culture, it appears to me, the evil stepmother is given prominence.
My second wife was a very kind and nurturing stepmother to my previous daughters. When we produced a son I was careful to spend individual time with my daughters so as they didn't feel left behind. Inasmuch I was enraptured in that precious newborn glow, as indeed my daughters were, I made to keep doing the special things unique to us.
🍀🙏🍀
That's a beautiful example of creating a family with great care, awareness, and love, and thank you so much for sharing it! It really strikes me that the possibility here, the marvelous invitation, is to create MORE love - and it sounds like that's exactly what you all did together. Hats off to loving stepmothers, stepfathers, stepchildren, and blended families everywhere who take this invitation to love each other.
This was a very special story to hear. Thank you very much for it. I actually thought back to the Genesis story of Abraham, and how he was told by God or a messenger of God to sacrifice his son, the child Issac, by burning him as an offering (as they did habitually with sheep at that time and place). Abraham had a heavy heart, but believed he must follow the instructions of God and prepared to do so. (In church, the preaching nowadays is often that this following of God even to the point of killing one's child is exemplary for us---something I never can find peace with.) At the last minute, the hand of an angel saved the child in the Biblical story, however---which leads to more positive values we can glean from the story as a whole. However, in this Irish story, the stepmother (unlike Abraham) does not follow the instructions received from the Wise Woman which appear to be divinely inspired. She follows instead her deeper instinct or practice of love.
Yes to all of this. And I believe that the wise woman framed this as a choice between two difficult options so that the family could make this powerful choice to do the right thing and become stronger as a result. Love is always the answer, isn't it?
This was a very wise person she found the words without blessing her it shows their are mene was to a problem it's in the way you approach them. I love the way these stories are handed down if it was not for people like you it would be lots for ever. So I thank you so much for sharing 😊 have a wonderful day.
Thank you so much for your kind words and for loving the story, too. I agree with you completely that she was very wise. May we and all of us be as wise and loving!
@@katechadbournebard me 2 🕊️
May God Bless you. I married into a family that is always at odds with each other and I tried to very hard for this not to happen to my family, but to no avail , they are jealous and they don't appreciate each other. But I will continue to pray that one day they will wake up.
Bless you for trying, for holding hope, for staying gentle and open. May your loving efforts win through! ❤
To choose economics over love/connection would have been disastrous. It is a choice many modern families make, to all of our detriment.
You're right: there's often a rock-and-a-hard-place choice to be made. But Irish tradition comes down EVERY TIME on choosing people: a great lesson for us, I think.