As we have heard, Elizabeth Edwards passed away this week after a long battle with cancer. I'd like to weigh in on how the general public feels and add my own thoughts.
As for John, let me give an example of how I understand what he is going through. My parents were divorced when I was very young. My father was an alcoholic and what they used to call a "womanizer." In other words, he used to chase women. I didn't see my father very much when I was little, but when I did, he had to adhere to rules set up by my mother. Most of the time, it was his children who made the request to see him.
Five years after my father sobered up, lived a clean, honorable life and regained the trust of four of his children, he died unexpectedly. Although my parents never re-married each other, they became good friends, and we included my father's second wife as a part of the family. I was supposed to move in with him after I graduated from high school.
How did my father's death affect my mother? She was understandably devastated. She lost a good friend and the father of her children. It took her a long time to cope with the loss, but her faith in God and the support of our church family and relatives got her through those times. Even my maternal grandparents learned to forgive my father for all the pain he had caused our family.
We all know about the sordid affair that John Edwards had and that it resulted in the birth of a child. There's no need to re-hash it or bring it up, especially now. Doesn't anyone have compassion and forgiveness anymore? It sure doesn't seem that way! I have seen tweets and facebook posts specifically about John since the day Elizabeth passed away that are too vulgar and cruel to repeat. To them I say, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!" Doesn't anyone believe that John has the right to grieve his wife's death? I certainly do! He and Elizabeth may have been estranged, but she didn't keep him from seeing their children. I read that John was living in their house for the past few months but had a separate bedroom. They never divorced.
In the video below, John Moylan, a close friend and Edwards' advisor was interviewed by CBS the other day. Here's what he had to say:
Did anyone notice the answer given by Moylan in reference to the guardianship/custody of the two younger children? I noticed that he gave an excellent answer, because now is not the time to discuss that issue. Right now, the focus is getting all of them, including John, through each day, especially now that their mother is going to be laid to rest today. We need to show compassion for all of the Edwards family, including John. Put your hatred aside for once and pray for him, too!
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