FORGIVENESS

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE IT WILL ALL BE OVER. THAT IS WHAT MY MOTHER SAID TO ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN GROWING UP. I AM REALIZING JUST HOW VERY TRUE THAT STATEMENT IS NOW, WITH EACH PASSING YEAR. AS THE LATE SEN. KENNEDY WAS LAID TO REST A FEW WEEKS PAST, I WAS REMINDED OF JUST HOW IMPORTANT ONE PERSON'S LIFE AND WORKS CAN BE. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE LEGACY. IT IS NOT A QUESTION THAT WE ALL IN FACT DO MAKE MISTAKES, AND IN OUR YOUTH SOME GRAVER AND CRAZIER THAN OTHERS. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, MY MOTHER WAS VERY ENTHRALLED WITH THE MAGIC OF THE KENNEDYS. I BELIEVED THAT THEY REPRESENTED TO HER HOPE, AND THAT WE COULD ALL ACHIEVE OUR GOALS IF WE WORKED HARD. THROUGH THIS SHE ALSO INSTILLED IN ME THE DESIRE TO ALWAYS WANT TO CHAMPION THE RIGHTS OF THE UNDERDOG. MY MOTHER'S POLITICAL VIEWS WERE NEVER, EVER, IN QUESTION. EVERYONE ALWAYS KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HER PLATFORM WAS. IN FACT, UPON MEETING MY HUSBAND "MARK" FOR THE FIRST TIME, RATHER THAN SAYING," HELLO," OR "HOW ARE YOU?" SHE ASKED HIM,"MARK, WHAT PARTY ARE YOU WITH?" I WILL NEVER FORGET HIS VERY QUICK AND WITTY RESPONSE. "WHY, LOIS, I AM WITH THE FUN PARTY!" NEEDLESS TO SAY EVEN MY DEAR MOM THOUGHT THAT WAS A PRETTY GOOD ONE, ALTHOUGH SHE STILL WANTED TO KNOW THE ANSWER. THANK HEAVEN FOR US BOTH THAT IT WAS THE CORRECT ANSWER. AT THE TIME SEN. KENNEDY WAS MAKING HIS TOUGH CHOICES AND PERHAPS POOR JUDGEMENTS, I WAS STILL VERY YOUNG. I DO NOT RECALL THESE TIMES BEING MENTIONED. IT WAS, AFTER ALL, A TURBULENT TIME IN OUR HOME AS WELL. OUR DEAR FATHER, MY MOTHER'S SOUL MATE, HAD PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY. THEREFORE, THE MISFORTUNES OF SEN. KENNEDY'S LIFE AT THAT TIME, I DO NOT RECALL HEARING MUCH OF. I DO RECALL THE ASSASSINATION OF BOBBY QUITE VIVIDLY, AND, AS I RECALL, IT SEEMED TO BREAK MY MOTHER'S HEART. I WAS ALSO TOO YOUNG TO RECALL THE PRESIDENT'S ASSASSINATION. HOWEVER,MY SISTERS HAVE SHARED THEIR STORIES OF HOW TRAGIC IT WAS FOR THEM AND MY MOTHER. LATER ON THE ONE THING THAT I DO KNOW IS THAT MY MOTHER DID HAVE A GREAT RESPECT FOR THE KENNEDYS, ALL OF THEM. AS I LOOKED ON THE TELEVISION AT THE PROCESSIONAL FOR THE FUNERAL OF THE LATE TED KENNEDY, I WAS DEEPLY MOVED. I WAS VERY PROUD TO HAVE BEEN THE DAUGHTER OF A WOMAN WHO FELT SO STRONGLY ABOUT HER POLITICS. I WAS QUITE PROUD TO SEE THE MANY AMAZINGACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT MR. KENNEDY HAD ACHIEVED. I WAS VERY TOUCHED BY THE VOICES OF HIS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. FOR MYSELF THE MOST HUMBLING MOMENT IS THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T ALLOW ANY ONE MISTAKE TO DEFINE US. WE HAVE ALL MADE THEM, SOME NOT AS PUBLIC OR TRAGIC PERHAPS, MISTAKES JUST THE SAME. MY MOTHER BELIEVED IN FORGIVENESS. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE SHE TAUGHT ME TO BE FORGIVING. I WONDER ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT THIS COUNTRY WOULD HAVE MISSED OUT ON HAD TED KENNEDY'S FAMILY, FRIENDS, COMMUNITY CHOSEN NOT TO FORGIVE HIM. THE GREAT LESSON FOR MYSELF HERE IS THAT AS SPIRITUALLY MOTIVATED A MAN AS HE WAS, HE CERTAINLY MUST HAVE DONE A LOT OF TRUE, DEEP SOUL SEARCHING TO COME TO A PLACE WHERE HE COULD FORGIVE HIMSELF.
THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: FORGIVE YOURSELF!