Having spent most of yesterday watching the ceremony and pageantry of Queen Elisabeth’s funeral, I didn’t feel inclined to write a regular post today.
It was an amazing day.
Since her death and learning more about her life, I thought, what must it take to have a sense of duty and devote your life to your role for seven decades? What strength of character does that call for? As I expect, behind closed doors at times, it must have been hard.
Equally, watching the royal family’s stoicism and stiff upper lip was interesting to see while under the public gaze. Being able to show your emotions is not afforded to them as it is to us, who can express our loss much more freely and audibly.
I have a close cousin who gets into a state of emotion during our funerals that would not have been very British. She often needs to be comforted (or should I say – restrained) by several family members, as from the moment she steps into the church, she starts wailing. We tease her after, but she freely expresses her emotion and sense of loss.
The funeral made me reflect on the queens in my family who have passed. Who, in their own way, lived a life of equal contribution and service. My mum, Aunt Florence – her sister and my dear cousin Wally who died in June – within two months of us knowing how ill she was. They all held matriarchal positions in the family and left a powerful legacy.
I think whatever standing we have in the world, we have a responsibility to serve and add value in our own way.
Back to the world of value next week.
