The Queen: Daughter, Sister, Mother, Wife

September 23, 2022 8:00 am Published by Phil Main

I hesitated a bit to share my thoughts about the passing of Queen Elizabeth recently because like almost everything in the news these days, there has been an element of controversy around it and giving people a chance to be angry is one of my least favourite things to do.

Like almost everyone else, I’ve seen many glowing tributes, praise, love and admiration for the Queen but also some disdain in the mix, for some of the evils and scandals connected to the royal family and the history of the Monarchy.

Let’s be honest, you could write a book about it … well, many have, but I don’t have a working knowledge of anything “royal.” I have never been a super fan of Queens or Kings or the wealthy and privileged of this world so I’m not here to debate any of that. I guess if we’re honest, it’s all relative and many of us could easily be considered “wealthy and privileged”, albeit at a slightly different level.

But I digress … Have you noticed I have a habit of trying to cover my butt to avoid dissention?

Several years ago I interviewed Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey Hepburn’s son and I was myopic enough to ask him what it was like to have an Oscar winning, world famous mom (?) He humbled me with, “It was like … having a mom, she made my lunch and tucked me in and read me stories.” She was a superstar to the world but to Sean she was a human. She was/is his mom.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was a human. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife, a mother, a grandmother … and yes, a Queen. I get it, a human born to great wealth and privilege but still, just a human.

I really believe that none of us really have much of anything figured out. We’re all just stumbling around trying to do the best we can. And, I think Queen Elizabeth might have been among the first to confess that.

In spite of the inescapable royal spotlight, I always thought she handled herself extremely well. She displayed kindness, commitment to duty, respect and a genuine love for people. Something about her brought a sense of peace and calm to billions of people.

With her passing, I’ve renewed a challenge to myself to try to be a little more like her. A little kinder and maybe a little more committed to my service, respect and love for others. We’re not all Queens or Kings but we CAN all try to be good to one another.

*****

Fall has arrived and yesterday I went out to try to catch some of the waning hours of Summer 2022.
“For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.” ~ Carl Sagan