昨晚新闻节目里全是关于Elizabeth Edwards因乳腺癌去世的消息。真的很难过。作为公众人物，她癌症的诊断，治疗，和复发都是新闻。和致命的病魔斗争，其实是一件很私人的事。不过她有勇气面对大众，尤其是继续为自己相信的causes (比如医疗改革)出头露面，我很佩服她。我从没有见过她，不过2004年John Edwards在总统竞选中来过我们小城，带着他们最小的孩子Jack。我记得当时那个才4岁的小男孩在他爸爸严肃的讲演中满台乱跑，台下一片哄笑。我不能想像他现在失去母亲的痛苦，也不能想像Elizabeth对离开自己年幼孩子的遗憾。Elizabeth一生经历了太多令人难以想像的痛苦（比如16岁的大儿子车祸身亡，又比如丈夫出轨），可是她在去世前还是说自己对人生充满了感激：
"You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that.
And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human.But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know."
真是一个勇敢的女子！
