As I’ve watched the coverage of Senator Edward Kennedy’s death over the past few days, I’ve been thinking about legacy. And how it changes. And how it’s never too late to create a new legacy.
Teddy – he’ll always be that in the memories of those who are closer to his age – was the perpetual baby brother when we first met him. Not as handsome as Jack nor seemingly as intensely focused as Bobby, he seemed like an affable hanger-on. Â It was hard to see him as being a major figure in US politics.
Ted – as a senator  -  Perhaps not yet a major player – overshadowed by his older brothers during their lifetimes.  He partied a bit too much. He drank too much. Some of us may have written him off altogether after Chappaquiddick. But still, he came to be seen as reliable. It was easy to see that he took his role seriously in the Senate. He fought for all the causes we hoped Jack and Bobby would have championed – human rights, equal opportunity, health care.
Senator Kennedy – “the Lion of the Senate” – 15,235 votes cast over 47 years. Now patriarch of the enormous and growing Kennedy clan, the face of the family at an endless stream of tragedies. His successes include the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, the COBRA Act and countless others. He stood in for his brothers at weddings and funerals and made sure that every one of the children and grandchildren knew his presence.
Wikipedia’s excellent article on Kennedy includes a quote from The Boston Globe : “It underscored the evolution that surprised so many people who knew the Kennedys: Teddy, the baby of the family, who had grown into a man who could sometimes be dissolute and reckless, had become the steady, indispensable patriarch, the one the family turned to in good times and bad.”
The turnout on the steps of Congress as the Senator’s remains headed for Arlington, where he would rejoin his brothers, the throng of family members paying tribute, the tributes from all segments o the political spectrum say it all. This is a man who continued to build his legacy until his last breath.
It’s never too late. How do you want to be remembered? Legacy starts now.
I liked your posting about legacy. I have recently done a lot of thinking about my own family legacy. My parents both lived into their 90′s and left very strong imprints on all of their children. I have written about this on my blog also http:womenofacertainage2.blogspot.com