Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author, attorney and a former US Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017. She is the daughter and only surviving child of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Caroline was almost six years old when her father was assassinated on November 22, 1963.
Kennedy graduated from Radcliffe college and then worked at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum of art. She later attended Columbia Law school. Most of her professional life has spanned law and politics and also charity and educational reform. She has authored multiple books and has left behind some excellent words. Here are some of the most interesting quotes from her.
Caroline Kennedy Quotes
- “In terms of my marriage, you know, falling in love with my husband was by far the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” ― Caroline Kennedy
- “Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals, and to imagine that together we can do great things.” ― Caroline Kennedy
- In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.” ― Caroline Kennedy
- “Our mothers are our first teachers, and we teach others the same lessons we learn from them. As a child, when your mother believes in you, you believe in yourself, and when that happens, there is nothing you can’t do. As a mother, that is the greatest gift we can give to a child.” ― Caroline Kennedy, She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems
- “It’s true, Christmas can feel like a lot of work, particularly for mothers. But when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you’ll find you’ve created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help to keep a family together over the long haul.” ― Caroline Kennedy
- “I doubt women will be surprised that men write more often about the loss of face and the loss of power, while women tend to write about the loss of self.” ― Caroline Kennedy, She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems
- “She Walks in Beauty Like the Night Of Cloudless Climes and Starry Skies” ― Caroline Kennedy, She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems
- “A strange idea that one must say what one thinks in order to be understood.” ― Caroline Kennedy, She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems
- “The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “As much as we need a prosperous economy, we also need a prosperity of kindness and decency.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “To the extent that we are all educated and informed, we will be more equipped to deal with the gut issues that tend to divide us.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “When you make the right decision, it doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “It is not easy to stand up against your constituents or your friends or colleagues or your community and take a tough stand for something you believe is right. Because you always want to keep working and live to fight another battle and it might cost you your career.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “I feel that my father’s greatest legacy was the people he inspired to get involved in public service and their communities, to join the Peace Corps, to go into space. And really that generation transformed this country in civil rights, social justice, the economy and everything.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “I think one of my father’s great legacies is the people that he inspired and the generation that he inspired transformed America through civil rights, women’s rights, equal justice, and they’ve passed that on to their children and grandchildren.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “I feel like my grandparents and parents gave me a tremendous amount. And if I can pass some of that on, then I’ll be very happy.” — Caroline Kennedy
- “We need a President who is not afraid of complexity, who believes in an open and tolerant society, and who knows that the world can be made new again – and that President is Al Gore.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “People don’t always realize that my parents shared a sense of intellectual curiosity and a love of reading and of history.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “In a funny way, poems are suited to modern life. They’re short, they’re intense. Nobody has time to read a 700-page book. People read magazines, and a poem takes less time than an article.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “Many people remember that spirit that President Kennedy summoned forth. Many people look to me as somebody who embodies that sense of possibility.” –Caroline Kennedy
“I’ve campaigned for people. I’ve campaigned across the country for people. I have supported people in local elections. I do work with groups and causes. So, I feel like I am a participant and a civically-engaged citizen.” –Caroline Kennedy - “Growing up in politics I know that women decide all elections because we do all the work.” –Caroline Kennedy
- “Poetry is really a way of sharing feelings and ideas.” –Caroline Kennedy
See also: Excellent Quotes from Martin Van Buren and Hillary Clinton.
Video: CNN Clip Caroline Kennedy Discusses JFK’s Legacy
Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of John F. Kennedy, talks to CNN’s Jake Tapper about her father’s legacy and commemorating his 100th birthday.
Summary
Caroline Kennedy was recently considering running for other public offices but decided not to pursue those options. It appears that she is unlikely to run for public office again. Only time will tell for sure.
In the meantime, she continues to focus on her charity work and writing.
Image Credit: “Caroline Kennedy” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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