Hope… something hard to Find.

One of the few times I saw my mother cry was when she was looking at the front page of the local newspaper, showing a big picture of the JFK funeral parade. I was a small child at that time, and I didn’t understand what was going on. But seeing my mom overcome by emotion, something very unusual for her, told me something special about that man in the coffin, covered by the US flag.

My mother was a strong girl, growing up in a very modest farm. When my grandmother died, she quit elementary school to take care of her younger siblings. Then, she married my dad, and raised her own family. She always worked hard with no complaints, at least not in front of my brother or me. I never had the opportunity to ask what her real dreams were. Now looking back, I think that in some way John F. Kennedy gave her hope, which was very hard to find back then, as today.

This definitely touched me very deeply, and for that I became very interested in JFK’s life. I read a lot of books and documents about him. I studied his career as a politician, his candidate profile and his administration goals. Also, I had the opportunity to talk with many of my students at school about him. Of course, I received very different opinions, depending on the political orientations. But on one thing, all of them agreed, that his absence on the political arena, let mediocre and bad politicians get their chance. Something that shouldn't have happened in a normal circumstance.

Talking with the old guys especially, I sensed a feeling of sadness and shame. Looks like they still couldn’t find yet a sense of closure for this dark page in the country’s history. ?

Personally, I know how I’ll find mine. Someday I'm planning to visit Washington DC, and over there I'm going to the Arlington National Cemetery. I will pay my last respect to the JFK grave. Not for any political preference, but because I owe it to my mom…