My Thoughts On Ted Kennedy, Jr.'s Speech At His Father's, Edward Kennedy, Funeral

Though I did not always agree with Senator Edward Kennedy on political and legislative issues, I was struck by the reaction of so many people, often holding opposing political points of view, to countless stories of his often inspiring statements and actions from his life outside politics.

I was particularly struck by a story told by his son, Ted Kennedy, Jr. at his funeral, about a father helping his 12 year old son as he struggled to deal with the consequences of severe medical illness and resulting physical impairment:

Ted Kennedy, Jr (son) speaking at Ted Kennedy Memorial (7-29-09)

When I was 12 years I was diagnosed with bone cancer and I remember a few months after I lost my leg, there was a heavy snowfall…my father went to the garage to get the old flexible flyer sled and asked me if I wanted to go sledding down the steep driveway. I was trying to get used to my new artificial leg, and the hill was covered with ice and snow and it wasn’t easy for me to walk, and the hill was very slick, and I struggled to walk. I slipped and started to cry, and I said: ‘I can’t do this. I’ll never be able to climb up that hill.’
And [my father] lifted me up in his strong, gentle arms and said, ‘I know you can do it. There is nothing that you can’t do. We’re gonna climb that hill together, even if it takes all day.’

Sure enough, he held me around my waist, and we slowly made it to the top.
You know, at age 12, losing your leg pretty much seems like the end of the world. But as I climbed onto his back and we flew down the hill that day, I knew he was right. I knew I was going to be OK.

You see, my father taught me that even our most profound losses are survivable. And it’s what we do with that loss, our ability to transform it into a positive event, that is one of my father’s greatest lessons. He taught me that nothing is impossible.