I met John McCain on only one occasion – at my sister Maureen’s memorial service. She died in 2001 and her husband put together an impressive service for her, with several political figures attending, Senator McCain being one of them. I found myself standing alone with him, making small talk at first, but then I decided to make the most of a meeting that may never happen again. At that time, there was talk of opening the Arctic Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling and it was gaining traction. John Kerry had made some very strong statements against it, pledging to never allow such a thing to pass the Senate. I brought it up to Senator McCain, and he  looked me straight in the eye and said, “He’s right. We’re not going to let that happen.” As we were being led inside to the service, he gave my arm a strong pat and said, “Don’t you worry.” I didn’t care what political party he was in; I cared that he was direct and down to earth. He was a man you believed.

I had one other conversation with him, years later. It was a phone conversation about another issue, although this one had to do with something that was about to happen in Arizona. Some of the wild burros that roam freely in parts of Arizona were going to be slaughtered, and many environmental and animal rights groups were protesting this. I asked my mother if she would give me a phone number for Senator McCain. She did, and when I called, he picked up the phone himself. I was a little startled at hearing a gruff, “Hello,” since I expected an assistant to pick up the phone, but undaunted I told him my reason for calling and pleaded with him to intervene and not allow these animals to be killed. He said he would look into it, and I believed him. Moments after we hung up, my mother called me, nearly hysterical that she had given me his home number instead of his office. I assured her he was very nice and didn’t seem to mind, but she insisted she was going to call him and apologize, that this was such a blunder on her part she was completely mortified. I never heard any follow-up to that particular drama, so I’m guessing he told her to calm down. I also never found out if Senator McCain intervened to save the marked animals, but the burros were not slaughtered.

Obviously, many people had more interaction with John McCain than I did. But those two occasions are indelible in my memory. Some individuals are like that – a few moments with them are seared into your memory and make a difference in your life.

Much has been said about John McCain’s courage. He lived a life of bravery that most of us know we couldn’t equal. It takes courage, too, to face Death with dignity and acceptance. It was clear to the world that Senator McCain had no problem looking Death in the eye and saying, Whenever you’re ready, I am too. Courage is sadly lacking these days, particularly in the halls of government. Perhaps in the wake of John McCain’s death, the men and women entrusted with protecting America’s future might find time to ruminate on what courage means. Especially his good friend Lindsey Graham, who has apparently decided that playing golf with a wanna-be demagogue is more important than protecting our democracy.

The McCain family will now go through the strange experience of grieving in full view of the world. It’s something only a handful of us have experienced, and it is both surreal and comforting – as if millions of arms are wrapped around you. In the end, they will have him in their hearts, a man who believed that Life is a vast field where you leave footprints and memories, and a voice that will linger on the wind for generations to come.