Born in 1884. Last night on PBS on watched a program about Franklin Roosevelt, Blanche Cooke (who I know from her work on Eleanor Roosevelt) was one of the narrators. How she spoke of Eleanor in regards to Franklin's affair with Lucy Mercer (who had been Eleanor's personal secretary) was so very touching. Eleanor had discovered the affair, and Franklin had promised that it would end. It did for awhile, and then Franklin had their daughter Annie arrange the meetings with Lucy and her Dad. Eleanor never knew that that affair had begun again, until she went to Warm Springs to pick up Franklin's body after he died. Franklin died with Lucy Mercer at his side. Blanche talked about the 10 minutes that Eleanor had alone with the body. She had not only come to retrieve his body, but she also upon arrival found out that Lucy had been with Franklin. She pulled herself together, and it was on the train ride home, with the casket returning to DC that Eleanor later talked about how overwhelmed she was with all the outpouring of love for her husband, the President. It was on that journey a grieving widow, a betrayed wife, a first lady, a mother, a friend -- that she was able to rise above and to let go of all of her own hurt.
Eleanor has always been a hero to me. I never really knew when her birthday was, it is today -- Now known as National Coming Out Day. Happy Birthday Eleanor. For Us, enjoy a little Eleanor wisdom:
Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
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Megan