Lion of the Senate

The Kennedy family is often looked upon as "American royalty." While they enjoyed the trappings and wealth of royalty, they did the work, enjoyed the triumphs and endured the tragedies of "every man."

On this day of his passing, many words will be written chronicling his life and remembering his energy and fortitude. He was a survivor in a family that had been touched by so much loss. I still can remember the heat-felt tears I cried when JFK fell. The shock of it happening again when Bobby was assasinated. Always there, always supporting, Teddy remained and took the reins of the family business; service and politics.

While playing football at Harvard, he was approached by the Green Bay Packers. Teddy declined their invitation to play and said that he planed to "go into another contact sport, politics."

In his career in the Senate, Ted Kennedy was at the center of health care and labor reforms. He was an integral underwriter of legislation such as the Family and Medical Leave Act, Americorps, Americans with Disabilities Act, the WIC nutrition program and the Fair Minimum Wage Act.

I have had several opportunties to hear Senator Kennedy speak in person. The first time I saw him was in '72 or '73. Senator Kennedy was addressing the American Medical Association conference in Miami Beach. I had a press pass from my college newspaper. I could barely write the article because I was in such awe of him that I took few notes. Yes, he was working on health care reform in the '70s.

With his passing, the torch of the Kennedy's finally goes to the next generation. A generation that I am not convinced can fill the shoes of their elders. It's hard to grow in such an enormous shadow.I can still recall his speech, when his last half-hearted attempt at the presidency ended: '. . .for all those whose cares have been our concerns, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die."

The young prince of Camelot is gone. God Bless Teddy.