“It’s very, very hard to imagine how you would cope when you haven’t faced tragedy. But the strength exists, and you do get through it. Having been through Wade’s death is the only way I know I can move on from this kind of emotional hardship.” -Cate Edwards, quoted in Harper’s Bazaar, after her mother’s cancer recurred.At just 29 years of age, Cate Edwards has endured way more than her fair share of loss. First, when she was only 14, her older brother, Wade, was killed when his car rolled. Then she went through her mother’s battle with breast cancer and her mother’s death in 2010. Meanwhile, her father, John Edwards had his infamous affair and out of wedlock child while running for president in 2008.
A New York Times article on Thursday applauded Cate’s strength as she appeared in court with her father as he fights felony charges related to the affair and violation of campaign finance laws. Cate has a law degree from Harvard and she’s engaged to a medical resident she met while they were both undergraduates at Princeton. Friends in the Edwards inner circle see Cate as the glue that has held the family together. She has helped care for her two younger siblings, Jack, 11, and Emma Claire, 13, since her mother’s death last December.
Cate’s role in her family makes me sad. It feels ridiculous that the daughter has to be the family rock (or glue or whatever) mostly due to the immature, inappropriate behavior of her father.
One of my huge pet peeves is adults who behave badly! Especially when the adults are parents and then the children have to be the responsible ones. It’s wrong on so many levels. And while it’s wonderful that Cate is steady and strong, it’s pitiful that her father’s deceit caused the implosion of the Edwards family.
From John Edwards, to Arnold, to Weinergate, what is it with these politicians and their incredible hubris and poor judgement? In these crazy situations, my sympathies always go out to the children. Even when they appear strong like Cate!
