I came home tonight from a lovely dinner at Anarbagh Indian Cuisine in Woodland Hills, with my dear friend Taylor, during which, as always, we had a spirited, thoughtful discussion about current politics. We focused on t efforts to provide affordable health insurance for all Americans. When I got home and turned on the news, I learned that Senator Ted Kennedy, who has championed health insurance reform for decades, had passed away after a courageous battle with brain cancer. I knew this news was inevitable but I am full of sorrow anyway. Here was a man of unfathomable wealth who spent more than 4 decades working to make the world and, specifically, life in the United States a better place for those with no voice and little influence. He could have spent his life as the head of the Kennedy family or run a philanthropic organization, authored books or contributed millions to worthy causes. Instead he chose to do all those things and still serve the poverty stricken, the marginalized, the disabled and so many more who he saw being treated with injustice and inequality.
I thank you for what you made of your life. I am inspired by your courage and tenacity. Had I been diagnosed with such a devastating disease, I would have crawled into a pool of self-pity and fear. You showed me there's another choice. For as long as you had strength -- even after that -- you worked to serve others. Thank you for all you have done. You live on in the bettered lives and ennobled hearts of millions.
It's your turn to rest now. Those of us who benefited from the efforts of your life will carry the ball from here.
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