A Weekend to Remember Teddy

We spend most of this weekend watching the services and events honoring Ted Kennedy. Whether or not you agreed with his politics, he lived an amazing, impactful life. Neal left his office on Thursday to stand on Congress Street as the motorcade passed enroute to the Kennedy Library. He said it was a moving experience. We learned more about Ted Kennedy 'the person' during the past 48 hours than we did over his lifetime. Watching some of the retrospectives of his life, we saw him grow from a rich, spoiled Kennedy-kid who couldn't articulate why he thought he should be President to a giving Senator with a passion and commitment to those who couldn't represent themselves. Some of the stories about him - personally calling each family from Massachusetts who lost a loved one on 911, sending hand-written notes and calls to families who lost children in the Afganinistan war, reading to children in Washington schools onTuesday afternoons - gave transparency into a Teddy that, frankly, we never knew. All too often when Ted Kennedy's name came up, Chappequidick came to mind.

We started watching on Friday night. While we had planned to have our typical "French Night", as we watched the service at the Kennedy Library we were amazed as we listened to the stories and rememberances. We decided to spend the evening at the kitchen counter and had our snacks, dinner and dessert without ever moving from our seats. We watched what turned out to be an amazing life unfold before us on tv.

On Saturday, we got up and spent all day watching the funeral. We were late getting to Matt and Amy's because we were watching the services. The outpouring from people here in Massachusetts - standing in the rain for hours, stopping & parking cars right on Rt. 128 in Lexington, lining bridges and overpasses - to wave and salute to the hearst and motorcade - was amazing. On our way to Matt and Amy's on Saturday night, the overhead signs on the highway - the ones that usually remind you to buckle up - read "Thanks Ted". You couldn't help but be moved by it all.

It's unclear, of course, what will happen to his seat in the Senate. Could it really be Senator Dukakis??? Or, maybe his son Teddy, Jr. will get into politics. He delivered an amazing piece at the funeral. He surely has the passion that his father had.

So long Teddy!  Massachusetts and the nation will miss you!