Honoring Ted Kennedy(1932 - 2009), Obama's Eulogy

It's a sad day, today, here in Massachusetts. I dreaded the passing of Ted Kennedy. I grew up believing in goodness, compassion, and helping those less fortunate. Much of this had to do with the examples the Kennedy family showed me. Ted cared if you didn't have health insurance, he cared if you didn't have a home, he cared if you were cold or hungry or drug-addicted. And every day he tried to make it better for us here in Massachusetts, and beyond. I hope and pray this legacy of kindness endures and grows and evolves into a better world for us all. Below are remarks from Obama's eulogy today. - Christine

..."Indeed, Ted was the "Happy Warrior" that the poet William Wordsworth spoke of when he wrote

As tempted more; more able to endure,
As more exposed to suffering and distress;
Thence, also, more alive to tenderness.

The landmark laws that he championed -- the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, immigration reform, children's health care, the Family and Medical Leave Act --all have a running thread. Ted Kennedy's life's work was not to champion those with wealth or power or special connections. It was to give a voice to those who were not heard; to add a rung to the ladder of opportunity; to make real the dream of our founding. ...

...He was given the gift of time that his brothers were not, and he used that gift to touch as many lives and right as many wrongs as the years would allow."

...What we can do is to live out our lives as best we can with purpose, and love, and joy. We can use each day to show those who are closest to us how much we care about them, and treat others with the kindness and respect that we wish for ourselves. We can learn from our mistakes and grow from our failures. And we can strive at all costs to make a better world, so that someday, if we are blessed with the chance to look back on our time here, we can know that we spent it well; that we made a difference; that our fleeting presence had a lasting impact on the lives of other human beings....

...In the days after September 11th, Teddy made it a point to personally call each one of the 177 families of this state who lost a loved one in the attack. But he didn't stop there. He kept calling and checking up on them. He fought through red tape to get them assistance and grief counseling. He invited them sailing, played with their children, and would write each family a letter whenever the anniversary of that terrible day came along. To one widow, he wrote the following:
"As you know so well, the passage of time never really heals the tragic memory of such a great loss, but we carry on, because we have to, because our loved one would want us to, and because there is still light to guide us in the world from the love they gave us."
We carry on.