Farewell, Elizabeth Edwards

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist


Elizabeth Edwards died today at her home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, surrounded by her three surviving children and the narcissistic husband whom she stood by far longer than he deserved.

Elizabeth was only sixty-one-years-old when she passed - a young woman from my perspective.   She endured some magnificent highs and tragic lows in her brief six decades on earth, and throughout it all, she served as a stellar example of the good that humans can do.

This lady was a successful attorney who married a world-class ambulance-chaser.  Together she and John brought four children into the world while he became a feared and very rich litigator.  Their oldest son, Wade, died tragically at the age of sixteen in a one-vehicle accident in which he was the driver, and while both parents grieved the loss as only parents could, Elizabeth bravely gave birth to two more children in her forties and early fifties so that John could be the father of a son.  At the time of her death, Emma Claire was twelve and Jack was ten.  Eldest daughter, Cate, was twenty-eight.

Elizabeth Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer on November 4, 2004, the day John Kerry conceded the 2004 presidential election to George Bush, and her husband, John, lost the Vice Presidency.  She had treatment, her symptoms came and went, she wrote a book about her trials and tribulations fighting the disease and finding peace within, and America grew to love her.

John tried to gain the presidential nomination in 2008 even though Elizabeth's medical condition was growing steadily worse, but he was washed aside by the Obama express.  Again, Elizabeth was the best campaigner and spokesman that he had, and the love they expressed toward each other was the stuff of storybook romance.  America loved them, her especially.  But all of that came to an end a couple of years ago when it was discovered, by National Enquirer no less,  that John had an affair with a pretty videographer who worked in the campaign, and that he had a daughter from the liaison.   Elizabeth, whose medical condition was worsening, initially stood by her man, but she finally had enough when he tried to encourage her to meet the child.  They were separated at the time of her death.

Elizabeth Edwards will be remembered by a generation of Americans as the epitome of grace and hope.  John will forever be vilified as someone who walked away from a good woman at the time when she and their family needed him the most.  Of all of the characters in this sad play, John is the most tragic.