Day 126 of a Photo a Day: Saint Patrick's Day

Today I had what was hands down my favourite Saint Patrick's Day of all time. I got to spend the evening celebrating sobriety and my ancestry with this guy I like to kiss.

Not only is he a good kisser, but he's also captivating and intelligent. Before we went out for an evening stroll, Donny recited a cool piece of Irish-Canadian history to me.

On March 18th of 1878, one of the largest riots in Toronto's history broke out at King and Jarvis--just a stone's throw away from where we live. Irish Catholics had been immigrating to Canada by the masses and making their way to Toronto (largely populated by Northern Irish Protestants at the time). As in Ireland, Protestants were committed to keeping their Catholic neighbours oppressed (bit of a simplification there, but I'm no historian), and when rumours of an Irish Nationalist speaker and Catholic gathering at King and Jarvis began to circulate, Protestants flooded the streets to brawl with the Catholic peoples. Windows were smashed, fires were lit, and Catholics and Protestants alike were injured.

Tonight, Don--the descendent of Northern Irish Protestants--and I--the descendent of Southern Irish Catholics--kissed at the corner of King and Jarvis. It felt symbolic, meaningful, and extraordinary. It felt like we were a part of something far bigger than our own, individual stories. Our ancestors came to this country and overcame hatred, oppression, and bigotry so that we, in that very moment, could share a kiss. So that we could fall in love. I feel so tremendously grateful that I get to kiss and love Donald Rankin. Happy Saint Patrick's Day.

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