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Teddy Kennedy, Jr.'s Eulogy to Sen. Ted Kennedy

Mesmerizing, Moving, Sad and Joyful. What a wonderful tribute to Sen. Ted Kennedy, by his son, Teddy, Jr. (Transcript here.) Part I:

Part II below:

< Saturday Afternoon Open Thread | Arlington: Laying Senator Edward Kennedy to Rest >
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    Nothing easy about losing (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by SOS on Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 01:18:08 PM EST
    a parent.

    It changes your life.

    Ditto that. n/t (none / 0) (#6)
    by shoephone on Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 01:28:14 PM EST
    I'm off to bed now (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 02:27:41 AM EST
    with all my thoughts, wishes, and dreams.  I was touched by Ted Jr. sharing experiences of "dealing" with losing a limb, yet not shaken to my roots simply because I have held the hand of my own special son and told him if it takes all day it doesn't matter...we will do this.  And then we do what we do until we do THIS.  I was not surprised even when his son acknowledged that he learned from his father that anything is possible.  Nothing awakens the real possibilities in any of us like the miracle of our children and how they came to be and who they come to us being...without much assistance from us at all.  If this is possible anything must be possible.  The thing that smashes my heart against the rocks is that Teddy came to know that any tragedy and loss can be survived (I struggle with that at times, even though the only option that comes with continuing to live is surviving it...but he came to know this plainly like some of us know that Tuesday follows Monday, and he handed this fact plainly to his children) and what finishes me in acknowledging this loss is the realization that I've lost a being who can transform this utterly human unescapeable reality (a life of losses like all the rest of us) into a socioeconomic political voice and reality.  If I have to sum up my largest grievance with what is now termed the right wing of our country, it is that largely it seems made up of individuals attempting to avoid very specific and certain realities.  He became the political lion who housed the soul of the lamb.  He put human beings first and not what he thought all human beings should be according to some narrow doctrine that hoped was correct so that he would find himself greater than someone else.  He left who we were up to our creator....he did not play God or pretend to know who God thought any of us should be....he fought for all of us to be respected and matter.  Not only did he fight for this, but he saw in all of us and knew it to be true, that we are all on the same plane whether we are rich or poor, dirty or clean, hungry or fed, sick or well, old or young, any and all ethnicities.  Sometimes our Buddhas leave us because it is time for us to now step up to the plate.  I tremble though.  Where will we find such constant and consistent daily courage and truth?

    Great (none / 0) (#1)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 12:45:22 PM EST
    Exactly what I was thinking to do.

    Thanks, I didn't see (none / 0) (#2)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 12:49:42 PM EST
    you added them to the open thread until after I posted this thread.

    Parent
    Deserves its own thread (none / 0) (#3)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 12:50:50 PM EST
    I'm crying again.

    Parent
    Hole in my throat from crying so much (none / 0) (#4)
    by shoephone on Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 01:13:23 PM EST
    Thanks so much for posting this. It is just as moving as when he first spoke it this morning.

    Other Clips (none / 0) (#7)
    by waldenpond on Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 02:40:07 PM EST
    are being shown.  I keep tearing up.

    That was truly beautiful. (none / 0) (#8)
    by Angel on Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 03:17:26 PM EST


    nice to be reminded (none / 0) (#10)
    by pluege on Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 08:02:32 AM EST
    once in awhile with real life examples what human potential can achieve.