Elizabeth was an army brat and once told a reporter that the reason she had designed the rooms of her NC home with high ceilings and giant doorways was that she had always dreamed of being able to move around in a home. She said that as a child she imagined having a room where she could twirl about in circles. One of the bedrooms she had during her Dad’s many moves with the Navy was so small that the door couldn’t be closed because her bed didn’t fit into the room.
Elizabeth was an attorney and an author and a tireless advocate for healthcare reform. She was widely regarded as the smartest student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. She was also a mom who worked for better opportunities for all children.
At a campaign stop
With her two youngest children.
With her eldest daughter.
Of course Elizabeth first gained national recognition as the wife of Senator John Edwards. When he ran for President I always thought she would have been the better candidate.
Regardless of the giant blip in their married life I believe there was love there – Edwards dedicated one of his books to Elizabeth …
"Finally, my thanks to my wife, Elizabeth. I have spent many years trying to live up to what she believed I could be, and I am the better for it. This book and this life would not have been possible without her.''
Elizabeth was a fighter. She fought off despair after her son Wade died at the age of 16 in a car accident. She pushed away public scrutiny when her husband’s idiotic behavior came to light. She fought her cancer for as long as anyone could – and she tried to support others battling the disease. She often spoke of how lucky she was to have access to the best healthcare and how she wanted that for all Americans.
I loved that Elizabeth looked like a regular woman. I often noticed how she would tug at her jacket when she stood up and how she usually wore a sweater over t-shirts. The universal body language of chubby girls.
“Terminal disease is a great clarifier. It takes you in the direction away from the mirror and toward the window." ~ Elizabeth Edwards
Peaceful journey Elizabeth.
26 comments:
Beautiful tribute to a remarkable lady!
And I love this....
“Terminal disease is a great clarifier. It takes you in the direction away from the mirror and toward the window." ~ Elizabeth Edwards"
Peaceful journey Elizabeth.
X ya, Dianne!
Lovely tribute :-)
Yes, indeed, a very lovely tribute and she was a great lady with incredible, admirable strength.
Sylvia
What a wonderful tribute to a special lady.
Yes, I've been thinking a lot about Elizabeth myself. Like you, I think she would have been the better candidate. I also believe there was still love between this couple inspite of John's tragic behavior. She fought a very good fight.
How eloquently said. And I agree.
Wonderful post, Dianne. And a wonderful reminder to live with compassion, courage, and conviction, no matter what kind of battle you're fighting.
An classy tribute to an amazing woman, you moved me to tears .. and as a cancer survivor she moved me to believe she could beat it .. in her own way she did. May she rest in peace.
I for some reason liked her a lot. Maybe because she was not perfect. She was that voice we don't hear that said .. there are lots of me out there and since I can tell you .. I will ... what needs to be done to help others.
I'm sorry she lost her battle. She fought so bravely against that wild wind.
Dianne,
What a beautiful writing. I too was saddened by the news and my heart ached; not for her but for those she left behind that love her so desperately! ...those adoring children!
She was a kind and gentle soul...
Wonderful tribute to a special soul, a person who touched, and will continue to touch, the hearts of many of us. Thank you, and I love the pictures you chose. Elizabeth, we will all join you one day, until then, I will never ever forget you.
I'm sorry your friend died. She sounds like a nice woman. Sorry for your loss.
A lovely tribute to a classy lady who deserved more than she got from her husband and a shortened life yet made the very most of what she had.
This is a lovely tribute, indeed. She was the epitome of grace and dignity and we could all take a lesson from that.
What a beautiful post and lovely tribute to a wonderful woman. I can only hope to be half the woman she was. May she RIP.
I read a piece about her a day or two ago and it had that comment of hers about how fortunate she was to have had money to pay for whatever healthcare she needed and how she wished all could have that too and don't you know someone made that into a nasty remark. Sheesh! She was truly a beautiful woman in all respects, very dignified and yet, her eyes said so much that made you think if I could just speak to her, she would be friendly. The loss of her wisdom, perseverance and comprehension of what is needed for everyone in this country and across the world too is immense. A truly beautiful person such as she was -very hard to find and she will certainly be missed. Beautiful post, Dianne.
Lovely tribute Dianne.
You know she did something right because those crazy Westboro Baptist Church people want to crash her funeral. They only harass superb human beings.
This is a lovely post, Dianne. She was a wonderful woman.
Thanks for doing this...she was am amazing woman whose husband did not deserve her...
What I find astonishing is that CNN reported one day that she had stopped cancer therapy, and the NEXT DAY they reported that she passed. That's eerily quick.
It's a shame, really. She seemed like such a nice person...
Such a beautiful tribute, my dear Diamme--as always, you express yourself with so much heart...And Well A Deserved Tribute, too! I thought she handled her marital problems with much grace, for the most part, and even at the worst of those times---She never lost her dignity. I wish her husband could have been the man she hoped he was---But, alas, that was and is not the case.
RIP dear Elizabeth Edwards.
Mrs. Edwards is not someone well known over here but she sounds like a remarkable woman. We need more people with such integrity in the world. RIP.
She dealt with her pain gracefully and with great dignity - a truly admirable woman.
She was a remarkable human being. Lovely tribute.
She was a class act. Lovely tribute, Dianne.
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