“Just because a cat has kittens in an oven doesn’t make them a loaf of bread”
This is a quirky quote that has been passed from generation to generation in my family. The first time I heard it, I was completely baffled by the point of what my ancestors meant by this. I thought it was very self-explanatory that a kitten wasn’t a loaf of bread; however, with a little guidance from my aunt I Iearned my family hasn’t been talking about kittens and bread from years. Rather, the point they were trying to make is no matter where you go or where you are born, you are always from one culture and need to remain proud of that. I will always be partly Irish no matter where I am.
Four generations back my family, who was then the Osborne’s, lived in Ermagh, Ireland. John and Sarah Osborne were weavers in Ireland. In 1845 the potato famine happened, causing mass starvation and killing millions of people. Over 1.5 million people were forced to leave the country including John and Sarah Osborne. When fleeing Ireland, they first stopped in England and lived there for a while. While in England, they had their son Dr. Osborne and they worked as miners for years. After some time, Dr. Osborne decided to move to America where he could continue to work as a miner; however, when he moved he had to go over a year without his family joining him because they were unable financially to accompany him to America. Sadly, I am unable to know exactly how he felt during this time and the challenges he faced, but I image it was very difficult to go that long without seeing his family. After his family was finally able to join him, they lived in Pennsylvania where his 6 children grew up. One of his children even grew up to be a prize-winning obstetrician and had a very successful practice. In America, my family was able to make a very successful life for themselves.
I may only be a kitten that was born in an oven, but I am not a loaf of bread. I may be born in America, but I can’t deny the fact that I am still Irish. The challenges my ancestors faced are still challenges many families face today. We are all just kittens in ovens.
