Hello Friends,
This past Friday, the world got a glimpse into the life of Ethel Kennedy.
Ethel is the wife of the late, great Robert F. Kennedy. She is the mother of eleven children: Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend, Joseph Patrick Kennedy II, Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr., David Anthony Kennedy, Mary Courtney KennedyHill, Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, Mary Kerry Kennedy, Christopher George Kennedy, Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, Douglas Harriman Kennedy, and Rory Kennedy Bailey. She is the grandmother of thirty-three. We will not list all of the children’s names.
Her youngest child, Rory Kennedy, is the Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker behind this film. Rory was born just six months after her father was assassinated. Her mother had not given an interview in thirty years, but she said yes to Rory, and Rory felt like it was time for the country to know her mothers story. Ethel’s story.
Ethel.
Ethel is a powerhouse. Ethel is an inspiration. She’s the backbone of her family.
Her story is a strong thread in the fabric of American history.
The interviews of her children and herself, combined with the video footage and pictures of the Kennedy clan, truly paint a brilliant picture of America’s royal family.
It. Is. Outstanding.
Rory comments on how wonderful it was to see younger people be so enthusiastic about the film, and I imagine that she’s talking about my age. People like all of us here at The Write Teacher. We did not live through the sixties, but, this film allows us to get a glimpse into that time, it allows us to take the life lessons from what happened and hopefully learn from them now.
This film is filled with such sadness. After all, Robert F. Kennedy was 42 years old when he was assassinated. He had so much more to accomplish, so much more life to live, so much more love to give. As we watched, a constant comment was, what would the world be like if JFK and RFK and MLK were not killed?
One can’t help thinking that this world would be a little bit brighter.
BUT…that’s not the point of this film.
Despite it’s sadness, you come away with such..Hope. Inspiration. Determination. Courage. Admiration.
And that’s because of Ethel.
Ethel was twenty-nine when her parents were killed in a plane crash.
Ethel was thirty-five when her brother in law, John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
Ethel was forty years old when her husband, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated. She was pregnant with their eleventh child, Rory.
Ethel lost her son David when he was twenty-eight.
Ethel lost her son Michael when he was thirty-nine.
Lets recap. Ethel lost her both of her parents at the same exact time in a plane crash. Her beloved brother in law, JFK, was assassinated. Her husband, Robert Francis Kennedy was ALSO assassinated, leaving her to raise ten children, with one on the way. Her son David died when he was twenty-eight. Yes, it was from a drug overdose, but that’s irrelevant – a parent should never have to bury his or her child. Then she lost ANOTHER son, Michael, in a skiing accident. He was only thirty-nine. How. Much. Pain. Can. One. Person. TAKE? Most people cannot handle such sadness. But Ethel?
