I was watching the internets this morning....

And saw a great deal of the memorial speaking at the Kennedy Library in Boston. A good Irish wake, I would say....

And I was... amazed.

I never really followed Teddy Kennedy's life in news or anything else. Which was probably, or after listening today, he kept himself out of the limelight, but helped very many people.

It was beautiful to see so many people from all sides of the spectrum get up and speak about what a wonderful man he was. And it wouldn't have been an Irish wake if some people had you laughing out loud with very funny anecdotes. But the bottom line was the caring for other people, helping them if they were in need.

So I learned a mess of stuff I hadn't known about his life and career.

To say I'm impressed would be absurd. But his issues were and are my issues. And it seems he was a giant among the rest of us. I like the fact that he did so much for others when they were in a time of need. And never hung it out on the 'news'. He did it because he cared. And kept quiet.

My father would probably call him a 'caretaker'. And it seems he was. I couldn't think of a better term for him, truly.

When I pass on, I will wish I could have lived up to that and have lots of people telling horrible stories about 'Flipper' (me) when I would go off the charts for what I perceived as injustice, and tried to do something about it.

And that is the Kennedy legacy.

It was my region, my life, and they affected me immensely, and taught me what empathy and good works were.

The whole thing moved me more than I can describe.