In an interview with Victoria Kennedy in the December 20, 2009, issue of Parade Magazine, Dotson Rader outlined in some detail the characteristics of a man who was “always an optimist,” Senator Edward M. Kennedy. After his diagnosis of terminal brain cancer in the early summer of 2008 he began, according to his wife, Victoria, “figuring out what we’re going to do about this…We’re going to move forward.”

Kennedy believed in universal health care and sponsored legislation to create it but, according to his wife, he was “no Pollyanna.” He suffered defeats over the years but, even though he might get upset, he never “reacted with anger. He always took the long view and didn’t take it personally.” His faith comforted him. The lesson of his life, according to Victoria, was perseverance. “You never give up.” Optimists don’t. They act on their values and their faith. They take the long view. And they plan, even when confronting their own death.

Ron Breazeale, Ph.D.
Author, Duct Tape Isn’t Enough
www.reachinghome.com