Human vs. Clinical
South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s death Saturday night was a shock to many…but no more so than to his family.
The clinical analysis was that a Republican governor needed to appoint someone to fill the vacancy…should it be a caretaker, to fill out the rest of the year when the term ends…or should it be someone who would be running for the spot on the November ballot. There was no end of quick analysis on that score, with the common wisdom being that the appointment should be someone who is not interested in the gig full-time, and someone who would vote the same way the late Senator Graham did.
Many times in the past when such a vacancy occurred, the spouse of the deceased office holder was appointed. But Senator Graham was not married, so attention focused on his sister, Darline, herself involved in state government. The suggested was blessed by President Trump and the South Carolina governor…so Tuesday afternoon, she took the oath of office from Iowa U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley to become the 2,020th U.S. Senator in our nation’s history, and by all expectations, went right to work as the Senate is in session for the next few weeks before the annual month off in August.
All very neat, all very organized—from a clinical standpoint. But what about the human standpoint?
We’ve all lost loved ones unexpectedly; and even when expected, there are things to do—plan a funeral, take care of the deceased’s affairs, perhaps selling a house or car, and so on. All the while…trying to process the loss of a loved one and properly grieve that loss.
Imagine the life changes that occurred in Darline Graham Nordone’s life in just 72 hours—welcoming your brother home from an overseas trip, then losing him forever suddenly, making the arrangements necessary for honoring the life of a loved one who you shared with your state and the nation, then having to discuss changing your life and the life of your husband and two daughters by immediately becoming one of 100 U.S. Senators, then finding yourself in the well of the Senate with your left hand on the bible and your right raised to swear an oath, and beginning a new job dramatically different than the one you had—rather than taking a bereavement leave from work to process all the change.
Oh, and at the same time, grieving the loss of the brother who adopted you and raised you into adulthood when your parents both died in short succession.
I don’t know her and don’t pretend to know what she’s going through. But imagine yourself in such a situation.
