Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Women I admire #1. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy

In the news this week is the public notice of an auction of Jacqueline Kennedy's letters to an Irish priest in whom she confided over the course of fourteen years--1950 to 1964. They span her life from the age of 21 to the year after her husband was assassinated, 1964.

Mrs. Kennedy was a very private person and she said in the letters she did not have any one to confide in, to share her feelings so when she met Father Joseph Leonard, she began writing to him, knowing he would never divulge her words, and he did not.  Father Leonard died in 1964 and all these years her letters have remained private.

Auction houses, when they have a treasure such as this, make bits of it public in order to publicize the auction and raise the bids.  How would Mrs. Kennedy feel about this?  Not good, I think.  But, all these years later, I think it is a good thing.  It gives us a personal picture of a very private First Lady, who on the surface seemed glamorous,  a bit imperious, aware of her status and her wealth, dazzling in public, and a First Lady we all admired.

In the parts of the letters which have been made public she does not seem this way at all. If anything, she was very self-aware, saying that she was overcome with ambition, "like Mac Beth."    She said that her life could look very glamorous from the outside, living in the world of "crowned heads and men of destiny -- but if you're in it, it could be hell."

Part of this was her sense of loss of her privacy and the media everywhere, but the main reason was John Kennedy's womanizing.  She understood this before her marriage, even comparing it to her father's womanizing which caused her own mother so much grief.  But it went on with more intensity after their marriage.  President Kennedy, because of the power and prestige of the presidency, could have any woman he wanted and he did.

She did not have an easy childhood either.  Her father, whom she adored, was an alcoholic who did not stay sober on her wedding day to John Kennedy, so at the last minute, she had her step-father walk her down the aisle.  We see those lovely photographs of her dancing with her husband after the wedding.  How sad she must have been inside, that her father let her down again.

I admire her even more so now.  Despite all that was going on in her personal life, she made us proud of her as First Lady.  The White House was dazzling, she was dazzling.  The trips she took to Europe and India and other countries were beautifully set, making America seem sophisticated and elegant, like Mrs. Kennedy.

I find it comforting to know she had a confidant like Father Leonard, someone who listened.




15 comments:

  1. Wow, I had no idea. She must have had a lot of self restraint to be able to stay collected, in spite of her father letting her down like that.
    Thank you for a very interesting and informative post. I feel good being a woman when I read good things about women.

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  2. I've always admired her perseverance through adversity, and of course her dignity and style. I had no idea about her father's alcoholism - what a let down that must have been. I, too, am very glad she had someone to confide in.
    Excited that you're starting a series! Can't wait to read more.
    Tina @ Life is Good
    On the Open Road! @ Join us for the 4th Annual Post-Challenge Road Trip!

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  3. One was inclined to be envious, but not after reading this. How terribly sad for her and how wonderful that she didn't give us any inclination of how she felt. How dreadful to be married to a womaniser and to have to face the world as though it didn't matter.

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  4. Jo, Tina and Munir: Our book club is reading, "Killing Kennedy" by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. . I was in the midst of the book when the news about Mrs. Kennedy's letters was revealed, so much of my point of view is from this book which is highly documented, and not salacious. It is so important to find someone who will just listen, especially when you are troubled and unhappy.

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  5. You never said a truer word. I used to have a girlfriend I could talk to, been friends for over 30 years then suddenly she completely changed. Haven't seen her for years and really miss her.

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  6. Those friends are treasures. Listening is hard to do, I tend to rush in with an opinion and advice which is not asked for. I will try and be a better listener after reading parts of Mrs. Kennedy's letters. After she wrote to the priest, she said how much better she felt after telling him her thoughts and worries. And very touchingly, X's and O's sometimes ended her letters. We were able to see some copies of the letters in our paper.

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  7. HI Nat ... what a great acknowledgement to Jackie O and to her place in the world .. I knew of her childhood and the troubles that sadly seemed to follow her, I hadn't realised quite how ambitious she was ... but fascinating to hear about these letters after all these years. I expect they are very telling ...

    She was, I know, very intelligent ... and aware of the world around her and America's place in the world ... but as she'd lived abroad in 49-50 in France, appreciated another side of life .. something certainly that I appreciate having spent time in SA ...

    Really great post ... and another thought provoking concept about confidantes ... she desperately needed someone to trust ... probably throughout her childhood and on into marriage and found Father Leonard after the War ...

    Thanks for writing about her ... Hilary

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    1. Hilary always thoughtful comments from you. Thank you.

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  8. Well said. It's sickening to think of how she was treated by her husband, being such an amazing person herself. But I suppose she had her reasons for staying with him -- and times were different back then.

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    1. Milo, we can never know what really takes place between a couple and what the trade of is--a glamorous public life for? And times were different then. I think she loved her husband very much, but I doubt if they would have stayed married after his presidency was over, if he had not been murdered.

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  9. What a great and caring post about Jacqueline Kennedy. I too am glad she had someone to confide in, because although she may have gone into her marriage with open eyes, I am sure things became so much more difficult once she was in the midst of it all.

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    1. Wealthy people have different standards, I think, and wealth and power changes people. But having been through a marriage with a husband with "outside interests," I suppose I empathize with women who have the same problem, but not to the extent that Mrs. Kennedy did. There were so many. . . .

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  10. Thank you for the insight into this great First Lady. Again, I'm in awe of her quiet strength.

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  11. To answer your question: I don't own an iphone, I use a Canon camera. It has some good capabilities, but I usually just point and shoot and then edit in Picasa. I am a very lazy photographer, nature and clouds around here help me a lot.

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  12. Pleased to meet you, Jenn. Look forward to your future posts. Thanks for your comment.

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