A beautiful missive from Matthew Fitzgerald

Today would have been Maggie's 20th Birthday. Four dozen roses showed up at the house and I understand the Optimist Kennedy Tree at the YMCA is filled with roses again. We are blessed with such wonderful friends and such a great, compassionate community.

The five of us had a nice dinner tonight and celebrated Maggie together. Happy birthday Mags! - wherever you are. We love you and miss you so.

I haven't written in a while. I suppose that's a good sign, although I'm not sure. I do think writing these missives and connecting with all of you is therapuetic and I am still in need of therapy - that's for sure.

We just returned from a 5 day cruise on the MV Explorer, the ship on which Garrett and Kennedy circumnavigated the globe in the fall of 2006. The Zultys, our dear friends and partners in the 1828 Reunion House in Vermont, wanted to make a significant gift to the Semester at Sea program to honor Kennedy's memory. We joined them and together we made a five year commitment to the program which resulted in a beautiful classroom on the ship being named for Kennedy - the Kennedy M. Fitzgerald Classroom. In addition, we were invited to be part of the Parent's Council which is a component of the Board of Directors. Peggy and I spent an extra day on the ship learning all about the program, its history, recruitment processes, funding efforts and most importantly its future. We are both very excited to be a part of this organization and to honor Kennedy in this way.

If you have College age children I would encourage you to look into this program. It is a life changing transformational experience. The ship, built in 2002, can accomodate up to 740 students and sails for 3 months at a time (a Semester - hence the name). It cicumnavigates the globe stopping in 10 to 12 ports along the way. Garrett and Kennedy left in late August from Mexico stopping in Hawaii, Japan, China (saw the Great Wall), Hong Kong, Viet Namn, Myamar (Burma), India, Egypt (saw the Pyramids), Turkey, Croatia and Spain before returning to Fort Lauderdale in December. Tien Nguyen (our 6th child) just returned from a similar voyage aboard Semester at Sea for fall 2008. The students take a full College course load while they are at sea. The courses are academically sponsored by the University of Virginia and taught by visiting professors from some of the best Colleges in the Country. The program is simply wonderful and nowhere near as expensive as you're porbably thinking. Check it out as http://www.semesteratsea.org/ .

The other big activity for the day to celebrate Maggie's memory was my lunch meeting with Mr. Nemeth, the Prinicpal of Maggie's High School. I have been invited on to the School's Advisory Committee. This is the same school that so many of you donated to in honor of Maggie. Thank you again for your incredible generosity. The Advisory Committee, in addition to lending a hand with oversight of the current school, is exploring the possibility of building a new High School. It's still in the exploratory and fact finding stage but nonetheless is exciting and I am enthusiastic about being a part of the process. I feel a connection to Maggie in this work, as she was President of her class at the school. I dedicate my efforts in this noble endeavor to her memory.

Garrett has been admitted to the University of Baltimore Law School (hooray!!). He just learned today that the University of Baltimore is offering him a full three year scholarship! Great news. Garrett has also applied to the University of Maryland, American University and Catholic University's Law Schools but has yet to hear from them.

Clara is enjoying her Junior year at Saints Peter and Paul HS, as is Bernadette in her Freshman year. Peggy continues her work at the Talbot Hospice and I am still commuting to DC and my job at the American College of Cardiology. We are all doing well. Obviously we all miss Kennedy and Maggie immensely, the great sorrow is never far from our conciousness, but we are healing and life goes on. We strive to be happy and to be present in the present, honoring our wonderful past and daring to dream bright dreams for the future.


The Sisters of Charity sent this cool poem, so I thought I'd share.

Love to all,
Matthew

Memorial Remembrance

Death is nothing at all – I have only
Slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
That we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way
You always used to.
Wear no forced air of solemnity
Or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at
The little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household
Word that it always was.
Life means all that it ever meant.
There is absolutely unbroken continuity…
Why should I be out of mind because
I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you – far an interval –
Somewhere near, just around the corner.
All is well.

Henry Scott Holland