A striking serendipity helped me appreciate the true strength of Elizabeth Edwards. On the day she died, I was fixing, as per the request of my committee chair, a hole in the section on the mythical hero Jason in my dissertation. This one-time captain of the Argo lost the favor of the goddesses who facilitated his quest for the Golden Fleece when he abandoned his wife who provided him the tools he needed to take the fleece for another woman.
Medea did not take kindly to this infidelity and murdered her children, depriving her husband of progeny.
Elizabeth Edwards bore her husband’s pursuit of another woman with far greater class than did that legendary priestess of Hecate. Indeed, Mrs. Edwards seemed always to show class on the public stage, particularly when she spoke about her cancer. As Michelle Malkin put it, “Mrs. Edwards was able to set aside partisanship when it came to the ravages of cancer. As should we all.”
Over at Patterico’s Pontifications, Aaron Worthing alerts us to this beautiful testimony she wrote on her Facebook page.
You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn’t possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know.
While Edwards acknowledged that there are times when we can’t muster the strength and passion we would like, she showed far greater strength that do many people who faced trials similar to those she faced. We all could learn a lot from her words. We can learn even more from the grace with which she faced misfortune.