We all need a tribe

 Each of us, we want to and need to belong...to be a part of something; a group, a team, some gathering that we wear the colors and know the history.

In my work with folks with cross-disabilities and the amazing group of self-advocates with whom I am fortunate to advocate, an initial effort was a PhotoVoice Project we called, "LIVING TOGETHER IS AN ART."  

One part of the effort was for persons to identify their social capital, individuals and groups, who, outside of family, they connected to and joined in, their posse.  

The number one answer: Steelers Nation.  It's true.  Anyone from here, Yinzers all,  has a color-palette of black and gold and organizes one's autumn calendar with the Steelers schedule. 

We need to belong.

In my elementary school days on St. Patrick's Day it seemed everyone wore green.  I did until the year Mary McGregor (any guess to her lineage?) approached me and said, "Why are you wearing green?!!?  Your last name is Snyder. That's German. You're not Irish."  I'm not sure if she also approached the Fancella kid or the Witenski classmate, yet, for whatever reason she zeroed-in on me.

I went home from school that day crestfallen.  

Ever observant, my mum asked me what happened in school. When I told her my encounter with perhaps Freeport's youngest member of the IRA, mum said, "O, you're plenty Irish."

She then told me that my dad's grandmother, Fammie, came directly from Ireland, had red hair and even had that great Irish brogue.  Later, I named my first car, a stick-shift, red Dodge Colt, Fammie, in her honor.

The point of this little tale is before we make our first action to seek out and circle and then exclude who we feel doesn't belong, let us make our first action to always be to welcome and include. No one, no matter what age, ever likes to be told "you're not" or "you don't belong."

On this St. Patrick's Day, I, with my freckles and in memory of Fammie, will raise a pint to Ireland!  

All in!