Shhh, Mommy's Watching Tributes
Ted Kennedy's passing is the kind of event that makes me want to just park myself in front of the tube and take in the tributes and old news footage. The great speeches, the sad face at funerals, the neck brace after his greatest moral failure. Only to be punctuated by reading articles on line and in the paper. But as a mother one rarely gets to do that. But I did get a bit of it… yippee (hate to say yippee around a death, but there it is). Rex took the longest nap of his young life, and Vivien was happily playing at her neighbor friends.
Then I heard that Domminck Dunne died. Dunne and Kennedy seem so different, but they had a terrible common thread. Both of their lives were marked by the murder of at least one close family member. I always enjoyed reading Dunne's essays in Vanity Fair. Great, compelling dish. His interest in court cases and crime took root because of his daughter Dominique's murder (and the short sentence given her boyfriend/killer). (Sidebar: My husband knew the man who killed Dunne's daughter Dominique. They worked together many years ago. Which is a whole other weird tale of someone who can seem normal and then so thoroughly snap.)
Dunne will be Farrah to Ted Kennedy's MJ though. The next week will be be dominated by Ted Kennedy's passing. And of course it makes me think how his brothers would have lived to be gray-haired elder statesman as well if only…
photo credit: bradleygee
When I was eating up the Michael Jackson coverage I could simply say to Vivien, "He was a famous singer," Â and she got that that was somehow special or important. Today when Vivien came home and was wanting my attention and I said, "But Vivien, one minute. Ted Kennedy died. He was a senator; his brother was a president." I didn't say, "His family was iconic, tragic, troubled, great, and we all wanted to be invited to the Compound." Â I don't think she would have gotten that.
I don't think she knows what a Senator is.
But she has to learn one day.
I know…I've been saying"shhhh" to our 3 boys for 2 days now.
The coverage on NPR is so complete: Ted Kennedy had so many roles, so many the public didn't realize. Besides his own life, he had to become father/grandfather/family spokesperson/family eulogist to replace his 2 brothers that were killed in such violence.
The comments ran throughout the program of how deeply wounded Ted was by his brother's deaths, but how he had no time for grieving privately because his family needed his presence so much.
Just a riveting aspect of his life that I've never thought of before. Who else is there in this clan?
The only one left of his generation is Jean.
We were watching a documentary about them last night and I dreamed Kennedy all night. Kept hoping that right before the murders something would be different… Robert wouldn't go in the kitchen, etc.
here I am making a comment on my comment…
it's more of an addendum… once again was rivited this morning to the funeral.
at one point Viv was begging for a cartoon and I said emphatically, no, this is the Kennedys!
Hey the girl is almost 4, time to learn what a senator is! Last fall my then 3YO was rattling on about princesses and I told her Hillary is a senator and she also ran for president, those princess need to get a real job. So for a few weeks she told everyone she wanted to be the Presidor. Then she went back to the damn princesses.
I too was sneaking funeral watch time — at the gym! ( Cause I won't let the kids have the TV on during the day if it is sunny outside. I'm mean).
I lost my mom to a fast moving brain tumor and I am actually happy to Ted that he had so much time to prepare for his death. He fought hard. I respect that.
Yes, I hear you on the positive female role model thing. I've thrown in the tiara on the princess thing…to a point. I do say that the little mermaid should have never given up her fins for a man!
I love TV to much to be that strict, although I think it's probably wise. Usually I could keep it to Hardball, but when an event like this comes on I'm glued.
Sorry about your mom. I was amazed he was able to give that speech last year at the convention.