Senator Kennedy A Reflection

I was sitting with my husband last night counting the number of presidents we have had in our lifetimes. We were softly laughing as we counted and he had two more than I did, being seven years my senior. I have lived through (yet have no real memory of) President's Nixon and Ford, but I remember President Jimmy Carter and I remember growing up hearing quite a bit about Senator Teddy Kennedy. I was a Chicago kid in the 70's, a teen in the 80's, and celebrated my 18th birthday in 1988 and participated in my first election. There was also, Regan, Bush 1, the Clinton Years, and the Bush 2 years, followed up now by the Obama Presidency.

I said to my husband that I had been listening to Mr. Dodd speak about his friendship with Teddy Kennedy, and I found it so touching to hear someone speak so genuinely fondly of someone they have known for 30 or more years. That is when I said wow, I am actually old enough to say I have known someone for 30 years. It occurred to me that life is moving along, every moment.

I sat and watched the entire Mass for Senator Kennedy this morning into this afternoon through my television screen. I have long considered myself a centrist, an Independent, someone who does not like the labels of political parties at all, really. However, as I sat and listened to the intercessory prayer requests, and the homily offered by the priest, and the passages that were chosen for the readings, I must admit, my heart was moved. I found myself in tears. I am not a big fan of organized religion as a whole, and I don't know much about the Catholic faith other than what I have learned & remembered from my personal attendance over the years as a child in a half Catholic family, and then marrying into a Catholic family, although my husband is not a practicing Catholic. I was spiritually moved though, today, and through tears I felt the drive and desire to want to do more than I have been doing in my local community to be of help to the stranger in need.

I was even more moved when I listened to his sons speak of him on such a personal level. It was nice to have the President speak the eulogy, but there was something special when his sons were speaking of their father just as their dad.

A lot was said today about a good man who tried to live his life the very best the he could. What more can anyone of us set out to do, and like Senator Kennedy claim success in the end. I appreciated the service today. Senator Kennedy will be missed.