August 2009

Carolyn (center), Fahd, (right) and Fahd’s mother (left) are vacationing in Boston. They dropped by the Kennedy Library to sign a condolence book for the Kennedy family. As you can tell by Carolyn’s expression, she was a big fan of the Kennedys.

One of Carolyn’s sisters sent the pic to my imaginary daughter Amy’s cell.

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My imaginary daughter Amy, 6, suddenly had a lot of questions about the Kennedys, after seeing all the coverage of the deaths of Eunice and Ted. “Why are all these Kennedys dying?” asked my curious little epicurean. “And how’d all those other ones get dead?”

Like many questions from children, there seems to be great depth and desire for understanding — and a response may elude those who need to answer, but as I worship her inquisitiveness, I tried.

“The Kennedys are an American political family that has endured a lot of tragedy.” Amy took on a thoughtful expression, then said, “You mean like on Grey’s Anatomy?”

I’ve asked Carolyn not to let her watch that show, but this is apparently going to take another visit to family court to resolve. “Kind of,” I dodged.

“Why did Bobby Kennedy and John F. Kennedy get killed? Which one of them was the Sexiest Man Alive?”

Amy had asked the question that has been the subject of a thousand books. I attempted to answer. “They stood for what was right and good and democratic, and a lot of people don’t like that. So they got shot. It was President Kennedy’s son who was the Sexiest Man Alive — his airplane crashed in the ocean.”

“Oh, man, that’s a bummer,” said Amy, parroting her mother’s Boston twang. “I am going to send the Kennedys a symphony card.” “Sym-pathy, and that’s very nice, sweetheart.”

She wrote: “Dear Kennedy People, I hope no more of your fambily members get dead. I think everyone liked them a lot. I hope they have some good food at the funeral. I like orange chicken at Panda. Love, Amy.”

Ask not what an imaginary daughter can do for you.

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