Susan Graham's Rendition of "Ave Maria" Moves Senator Kennedy's Daughter, Kara, to Tears, During Funeral Mass

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There are a few songs that will bring me to tears and Susan Graham's rendition of "Ave Maria" during the late Ted Kennedy's funeral mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help this morning, did just that. The song even drew tears from Kara Kennedy, the senator's daughter and a visible sadness from his wife Vicki Kennedy. Gosh, as the cameras panned on President Bill Clinton, he even looked visibly moved. His wife is a tower of strength, grace and exuded a quiet determination to send her husband home in style.

The most poignant moment for me during the mass was the story Ted Kennedy Jr. told about how his father helped him time and time again to sled a snowy hill after he lost his leg to cancer at age 12.  He recalled that his father spent the entire day telling him that he could do it and they did. The lesson I took away from that, besides being reduced to tears, was that his father had some confidence and belief in him beyond words. He also taught him in that one moment that your adversity should not define you or even limit how high you can soar. It should instead be a springboard to higher things and loftier ambitions. That story had a profound effect on me and as a parent I can fully understand the senator's unyielding belief in his children and their goodness.

Though I never really followed the career of Ted Kennedy, I knew about the contributions he made to social programs, immigration and above all, to the civil rights movement. I am pained when I see what has been occurring on a daily basis in this country -- the divisiveness, the inner city gun violence, the lagging educational standards in our schools, especially in the inner city schools, the racial hatred that still exists and is being exacerbated by the health care reform and the historical presidency of Barack Obama. This isn't what John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and yes, Ted Kennedy envisioned for our country. Ted Kennedy fought for the ordinary American citizen and for that we must resolve to carry on his legacy, not withstanding our political affiliations.