Should old ACQUAINTANCE be forgot ...

The great poet Robert Burns lays claim to the poem and certainly Guy Lombardo made it popular. For those who don't know who those to men are, please leave this page and google. They are truly iconic individuals. Anyway, it's the song that is sung at every New Year's celebration. Seriously. Even if you don't know the lyrics, they're on the TV, the radio, they're everywhere. It's actually pretty funny because it's likely the most famous song that no one knows the lyrics to. People mumble through them because some are old Scottish words and people have no idea what they're saying or what it means. 
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Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,
and never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
that loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
On old long syne.
CHORUS:
On old long syne my Jo,
On old long syne,
That thou canst never once reflect,
On old long syne.

When good people come and go in your life, it is worth it to take a moment of time, raise a glass and remember those that should never be forgotten. It's not necessarily about friends who have passed away by any means. What the meaning translates to is "Days Gone By." 
Personally I can picture Mr. Harden toasting Mrs. Harden here in the museum with a glass of champagne. Celebrating the days gone by and the wonderful life they lived that landed them here in Harrybrooke Park. A gentle kiss and a sweet embrace followed and they would give thanks to the joy of their private estate and discuss how much they loved it here in the country. 
So this year, let us reflect on the days gone by of not just 2017. Let us reflect on the good times enjoyed over the years here in Harrybrooke Park.  The joggers, the photographers, the picnics over the years, the parties held on the grounds, the weddings, the quiet walks of contemplation ... and the pure joy that IS Harrybrooke Park.
I like to think that Mr. Harden, with his childhood spent in Ireland, would have had this blessing memorized and might say it to his guests:
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. 

​Blessing for a bountiful 2018. 

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