You know what the most important thing about this past weekend was?

[Island Blue]

The most important thing was that some of us had the good fortune to be able to represent everyone here in the Kerry group and hand deliver two birthday cards to a great American statesman who we all love and respect. When the idea to have the cards criss-cross the nation first came about, no one had any idea that any of us would be a part of the delivery process. We were just going to send them to his office in DC remember? Instead, we know for certain that A.) he received them and B.) he LOVED them and was genuinely touched by our efforts. (ALL of our efforts, not just the folks who were there.)

Likewise, when we started planning the trip, we had absolutely no idea that it would involve anything other than going to Boston, meeting each other and maybe, just maybe having the opportunity to shake John Kerry's hand. That's it.

What happened was beyond any of our imaginations, and we wished that EVERYONE who posts in this group could have been there with us. So, please bear with us if we are a little starry eyed for a few days. That will wear off soon enough and we'll all go back to being our normal wonky selves discussing policy issues and what needs to be done to make the country whole again. (With an occasional photo thread thrown in for good measure.) Most of us who were there have never had the honor of meeting Senator Kerry or Teresa Heinz Kerry before, but now that we have we hope that everyone else here will have the opportunity to do the same some day. They are two genuinely nice, wicked smart, down-to-earth people who just happen to be American heroes. I think we can all agree on that!

[TayTay]

1. tis true, tis true

Hey, you know what? I actually referred to my greatly and deeply esteemed junior Senator by his first name in a post on the JK forum. (Someone rocked my world. I got less formal here.) Whoa! And they said it would never happen. I called Sen. Kerry - John. (Well, it was a big deal for me. Stop laughing. I never did that before.)

[Island Blue]

2. Tay Tay has made a break through!

This is big news indeed! I guess once you have a beer with someone it seems okay. I heard several of his staff folks referring to him as JK which many of us call him (at least when we write) so that was kind of cool.

[_dynamicdems]

4. There are two JK's and one of them really is John. What I mean is...

Senator is his job: it is what the man does. However, it is not the beginning and end of who he is. There is also a human being behind the public figure. He wasn't born a Senator. We stood on stage with the Senator, but we had a drink with the man. He was off the clock. He was being "John." So I can understand how it was easy for you to call him John in a post. I referred to him as John to my daughter, and she said, "Who?" Mostly, I call him Senator Kerry or THE Senator. So she was suprised and wondering who this John person was. Then I said, John Kerry...the Senator. And she looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Daughters! :)

[_dynamicdems]

3. Well put! This was a great show of support for Senator Kerry on

the part of the entire forum. We are all a little shell shocked right about now...in a very good way, of course. :)

[sandnsea]

5. I am ecstatic for you

I can't believe that the people who had the most incredible week-end, that they didn't even ask for, think they've got something to apologize for. I am just basking, yes basking, being able to get a little taste of it through all your tales.

If I'm angry about anything, it would be,

pictures dammit!! Where are the rest of the pictures.

[ginnyinWI]

8. I am basking, too

:) I'm proud that you all were able to get that close! Nobody needs to feel guilty--as long as you cough up plenty of pics for us stay-at-homes, as sandnsea said. I've enjoyed all of the posts about it, from each one's own perspective. It was kind of a landmark event in the DU-JK forum.

I could never have gone this time, what with recovering from my surgery and all. So the next best thing is to live it out through you guys. ;)

[beachmom]

6. Maybe this day hasn't gone as astray as people thought

What you are saying, IB, is really my first impression of what happened. When I turn off the computer and my mind starts to wandering I start grinning again. I mean, he loved our cards -- how cool is that??!! For me, that makes the weekend a total success.

[TayTay]

7. Beachmom is basking now

High Five! Yeah, we managed to get those cards to Our John and to the incredible Teresa. And they were touched by what you guys wrote and the effort that went into that.

That definietly deserves both a basking moment and a high five.

[ProSense]

9. See that's the beauty...

expecting a handshake and getting a hug, so to speak. Keep these lovely recaps coming. Thanks.