WASHINGTON (AP) – Speaking of his own experience after his son Beau’s death, Vice President Joe Biden consoled the family of the late Rep. Mark Takai on Wednesday, telling them to “hang on to each other” to make it through the rough days.
Biden joined members of Congress and Takai’s family at a memorial service in the U.S. Capitol to honor the Democratic lawmaker, who was serving his first term representing Hawaii in the House when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Takai died in July at age 49.
The vice president recalled meeting Takai earlier this year. He said that despite Takai’s own grim diagnosis, the lawmaker offered Biden condolences about his son Beau, who died in May 2015 at age 46 after battling brain cancer.
Biden called the congressman courageous and told his wife and two children to keep his memory close.
“The only thing I have observed is, deep in your broken heart the only way to get through it is to hang on to each other, hold each other,” said Biden, whose words elicited an emotional response from many in attendance.