Family by Quinn Guilfoyle
“FAMILY…functional, dysfunctional, uniquely personal.” – Don Riesett, Writing Mentor & Teacher
I am Irish. Nothing special. My grandpa was an orphan straight out of Cork, Ireland, but he was adopted and brought to the U.S. when he was still extremely young. So no, he doesn’t have an accent and is pretty much an average American guy. My grandma is Welsh and Irish too, but her family moved to America as well. That’s on my dad’s side though. My mom’s side is Italian and somehow a little bit of Native American, but I think when she did her ancestry test, they just put that on there to make people feel special. Anyways, I think my mom feels pretty connected to Italian culture, especially the cuisine.
One of the parts of Irish culture that I really like is Halloween. If you didn’t know, Irish people created Halloween as a celebration to welcome the fall harvest. Originally, they used turnips as jack-o-lanterns. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday because of this, and the fact that me and my brothers’ birthdays are in October. One part of Italian culture that I really value is the importance of family and loved ones. I really love my family and cherish them deeply.
The culture I feel most connected to is probably American culture. I’ve lived here all my life and America is all I really know. I like American food, I like American holidays, and I like American values. I really love living in America and being American. I think we are all very lucky to live in such a diverse country where we can feel connected with people from all over the world. I always say I’d like to live in another country, but I think I’d really just like to stay here. I still want to travel, but America will always be my country, unless Trump gets elected.
Anyways, I want to say I’m lucky to know where my family is from, and that I can celebrate culture with my family. I’m especially thankful for my mom and grandparents because they help my brothers and I feel connected to both Irish and Italian culture, especially since my dad isn’t here to do that. Our family has so many stories and things to share.
Quinn Guilfoyle
10/18/24