Pete Souza shares adorable, perfectly-timed photo of the Obamas

[MontanaMama]

19. I'm 52.

I remember my parents watching the Watergate hearings. We talked about it every night at dinner. I understood what I could about the scandal at my young age. My folks were devastated. They mourned, they were angry, they taught me to expect more from my elected representatives.

A few years later, we lived in Virginia and my dad worked for the USFS on a team that developed the Youth Conservation Corp. After the program was off the ground, my dad, his team and their families were invited to the Kennedy compound at Hickory Hill as a thank you and an acknowledgement for their efforts at launching the YCC. There were other honorees there too from many different agencies for their public service programs. The Kennedy's graciously opened their home to all their guests - even common people like me and my family. They even had Mr Rogers was there to entertain the little ones!

I have distinct memories of my parents walking through the great room in the Hickory Hill mansion, looking at the myriad of Kennedy family photos, some of them on the gorgeous grand piano, with tears streaming down their faces. Even though I was a kid, I understood how my parents felt about the Kennedy family. I remember them telling me that they had to postpone their wedding for a week due to JFK's assassination. My folks got married on 11/30/1963.

The Obama's are my Kennedy family. I am profoundly grateful that they are still here. They are safe. It isn't lost on me that we have not seen a republican hero that we can compare to a Kennedy or an Obama. Please, Universe, keep them safe.