Goodbye Teddy

I watched Ted Kennedy's memorial service last night and sobbed like it was one of my own relatives or friends. This morning I'll watch the funeral and do the same. I never met Senator Kennedy, nor can I say things about him as eloquently as others on CNN have continuously said. Yet, he's touched me. I grew up in Massachusetts. Every classroom had a picture of JFK. Ted Kennedy was a senator for more years than I've been alive. As a child, I recall someone-- relative, family friend, not sure who-- commenting at every infraction (be it a bad pothole, the cost of milk that week)-- "I'm going to write Senator Kennedy!" It instilled in me a sense that, whatever the problem was, Senator Kennedy could probably fix it. So I guess that's my connection to him, my enduring memory. Tenuous, yes, but nevertheless, a feeling that's been with me my entire life. Whether you agreed with his politics or lifestyle, there's no denying how much he and his family have given to our country. Goodbye, Senator Kennedy. There will never be another one like you.