A Day of Remembering

Everyone has his or her own opinion about the Kennedys and that's how it ought to be. Today, simply viewing some of the ceremony and celebration through the limited and distant perspective of TV gave me new appreciation for this family and for their deceased love one.

More than anything, I think today what I come away with is that Ted Kennedy was a man who made mistakes, lived with the consequences, and rose above them. I believe that all he went through caused him to be a better man, a better statesman. It was more than tender to listen to the stories, the histories, the narratives, and the memories and to watch his family as they once again have now shown a nation how to say "Goodbye" with depth and dignity. They have all certainly lived much of their lives with a camera capturing more of it than most of us would be comfortable with.

All the people gathered on the steps of the Capitol in Washington DC, waiting much longer in the heat of the sun and the humidity than had been expected, told a unique story of dedication, commitment, and respect--and they didn't have to speak a word. Surely that was an intensely meaningful moment for his family.

What spoke the loudest to the two of us are Ted's own words about his second wife, Vicki, "She not only loved me, she saved me." That's powerful!

Isn't that what marriage is all about. He rescues me and then I rescue him right back.

May the knowledge of all the love and care that Mrs. Ted (Vicki) Kennedy gave to her husband will rescue her now as she grieves and adjusts to life without him.

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On a lighter note -- the two of us always celebrate the 29th of every month. You can turn back to the month of May to check our page there for the reason. So to celebrate in a grand way today, we finally purchased an iPhone for each of us, something we had planned to do earlier in the summer. So our charge card is bleeding, our learning curve is huge, but I am feeling confident that I can allow this new technology to assist my online teaching duties that begin again this coming week.

Thanks for reading. Some of the comments I received yesterday took my breath away. Mark Twain understood the value of a compliment . . .  he is quoted as saying, "I can live for 2 months on one compliment." I think many blippers understand that sentiment.

Good night from a very HOT and smoke-filled Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol