Power was on full display one week ago at the Memorial Service planned by and for Sen. John McCain. However,it was an unplanned moment that caught me off guard.
The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. was the gathering place for the politically powerful to pay their respects to the late Senator and Naval hero. Two past presidents laid ideological differences aside and lent their voices in tribute. Eloquent eulogies and Biblical readings spoke to both his patriotism and the pain of loss.
Music chosen for the service reflected the late Senator’s fealty and faith.. His personal heritage.
When the plaintive lyrics of “Danny Boy” reverberated in the Cathedral–
“It’s you, it’s you must go and I must bide,”
Cindy McCain gave in to grief too heavy to bear alone. She lowered her head trustingly onto the broad shoulder of the Navy-uniformed son seated next to her. In the same moment, he wrapped his arm around his mother, the woman who had served her husband and their family while John McCain served our country. The ballast in the Ship of Family who had met years of motherhood challenges was reaping the love she had sown.
There are many gestures familiar in our culture. Crisp salutes. The tip of a hat. An imperial wave. Taking a knee. Raising a middle finger. From the respectful to the rude, their intended messages come through loud and clear. Others touch us, reminding us of the best that we can be.
Cindy McCain and her son’s shared gestures demonstrate that what goes around comes around. That it is in giving that we receive.
The power of love on full display.
What’s on your mind?
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