The Lion Sleeps Tonight

I would be completely and thoroughly remiss to have a blog named Preppycrat and not say a few words about a person who more than anyone worked, breathed, ate, slept and existed as the quintessential Preppycrat, Senator Teddy Kennedy. When I started this blog, I wondered what I could say that wasn't being said elsewhere but also who could be the inspiration. The Kennedy family came to mind immediately but especially Mr. Kennedy for his love of the sea, sharp suits, his dogs, the Senate and his country. And for everyone in it regardless of how much money they made, the color of their skin, whether they were well or ill, or whether they lived on the street or on 10 acres in Middleburg Virginia.

My husband was raised by his grandparents and his mother was to varying degrees as he grew up, a practicing Catholic. She hung four pictures on his bedroom wall; one of Jesus Christ, one of the Pope, one of FDR and the last a painting of Jack, Robert, and Ted Kennedy. These were what he saw every night before going to sleep and the first things he saw when he woke up in the morning. I'm lucky enough to live near Merrywood on the Potomac, the longtime home of the Bouviers, Hickory Hill where Ethel Kennedy's parties were legendary - and where summer interns in Senator Kennedy's office were welcome to go swimming one day each week - and yesterday driving home saw a lone American flag outside the gates to Madeira School where Senator Kennedy's daughter went as a teenager. Senator Kennedy will be laid to rest Saturday evening about 3/4 of a mile away from where my own parents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

But this isn't the remarkable thing - what is, is in a world where most of us probably truly have 6 degrees of separation from any other person, each of us probably only has 3 or 4 from the Kennedys and Ted in particular. It is amazing the sheer numbers who have met him or who had a friend or relative who met him, or worked for him, or have a story to tell about him and a kindness he did for them. He is our "Uncle Teddy," he is irreplaceable and he will be missed.

The Lion sleeps tonight.