Robin Carnahan: “today I am reminded that 2 years ago when I came to the Senate, it was with a heavy heart. Life had not turned out the…”

“today I am reminded that 2 years ago when I came to the Senate, it was with a heavy heart. Life had not turned out the way it was supposed to. My husband, not I, was supposed to have been sworn in to the Senate, and I was to be seated in the gallery, beaming with delight at the shared victory we had won. As someone has pointed out, life is not the way it is supposed to be. Life is the way it is, and it is the way we cope with it that makes a difference. I had some difficult lessons to learn in that regard. It was not by chance when I stepped down from the dais, after being sworn in, that the first to welcome me was Senator Joe Biden. He had come to this Chamber many years ago after a tragic loss in his own life. He told me the story of having been greeted by Senator McClellan of Arkansas, who looked him in the eye and said: Work, hard work, it is the sure path to healing. Senator Biden said: I thought at the time how callous that advice was; he just does not understand the hurt I am feeling. He later found out Senator McClellan spoke from having experienced a family tragedy of overwhelming proportion. Joe Biden took the advice to heart and he passed it on to me. You were right, Joe, and I thank you for that wisdom. There has been much work to throw ourselves into during the 107th Congress.…”