July 1, 1961 - August 31, 1997
It's been almost sixteen years.
I was feeding 4 month old adorable-fluffy-haired-breathtakingly-precious-Baby Ben.
Sitting on a 1980's plaid sofa. In a mauve, blue and antique white room. With a paisley pattern thing going on with the wallpaper border and pillows.
Jared, the always-moving-never-not-talking-while-awake-also-adorable-and-breathtakingly precious-toddler, was in bed for the night. and sleeping.
(The Farmer and His Wife made breath-taking children.)
(Because they are so awesome and hard too and their mother is learning while on the job.)
The Farmer was out... farming. The feeding cattle late part of farming because earlier we had been at a friend's house for dinner.
That's a tiny peek into what was going on in my life when I first heard the news.
Where were you? What were you doing?
Crazy as this may sound,
with the birth of William and Kate's son,
there is a fresh ache again, over all that was so unfair for Diana.
Because I wish that we could see her enjoying her family and grandbaby.
As a kid, I read, scrapbooked and collected everything I could get my hands on about Diana.
The closest that we ever came to crossing paths was when we were both on Martha's Vineyard at the same time. And I saw her yacht.
So. not close. at all. And I'm disappointed to this very day. I think I've been reacting ever since. ;)
My teenaged-heart-prized Princess Diana memorabilia included a little plate commemorating the birth of Prince Harry, bought for me by our bishop's wife, Mrs. Delp, in the gift shop at St. Paul's Cathedral, London. I also have a stamp set that had been a present from my friend and Sunday School teacher, Ethel. You can tell, I know, that I really went to one of the coolest Mennonite churches with The Nicest People.
Did you have a childhood hero? heroine?
I liked Ronald Reagan too. :)
Which is why my children, I had three at the time, went to D.C. just to observe his funeral procession.
I've started a mental list, to transcribe later in my journal,
of those people who were really in my life when I was a kid.
Truly caring.
Spending time.
Investing.
Living out the love.
Heroines for sure.
Maybe it's time to tell them. They might not know.
How much they meant to me.
Want to join me this week?
In writing a thank you note
to a real- in- your- life person of influence,
a heroine,
from your past?
Remembering Diana, Princess of Wales.
I still miss her. Don't we all?
"Go. Be. Love. The world needs you."
Love this. I can't remember exactly what I was doing, but I do remember thinking, surely not. Surely that's some kind of mistake? I had just started my freshman year in college. So I was probably still unpacking and setting up in my dorm room.
ReplyDeleteI remember like it was yesterday! I was pregnant with Thomas. I was up early and had heard on the news. I raced in and woke up my husband to tell him. I watched the news ALL day long. It's heartbreaking. She was cheated, all those who loved her were cheated. Still extremely sad, after all these years.
ReplyDeleteReason #854 that I like you!
ReplyDeleteI was the biggest, nuttiest, Diana fanatic there ever was.
Most embarrassing confession: I actually called Buckingham Palace once.
I wrote the guy who frequently photographed them and he wrote me the nicest note and sent me four post cards. LOL Did I mention I was a f.a.n.a.t.i.c.?
So yes, I was at my parents cabin in the mountains when I heard the news.
And Ronald Reagan?! Another favorite. Went to a rally when he was running for president. I never met him but I loved him. I loved that he loved jelly beans and I was terrified when the attempt on his life was made.
LOVE this post. And you.
So interesting! I loved reading your comment here!
Deleteanother royal family fan here too. di being my favorite.
ReplyDeletei had books and books on them and used to subscribe to 2 royal magazines!!
i love that canada is part of the commonwealth and living here feels kinda sorta english-y with the heritage. ;)
i remember exactly when i first heard the news.
i was big and 7 months pregnant with kate..
shayne came in that morning and woke me up and told me there had been an accident with princess di.
the crazy thing was i had just dreamed that night about her and immediately got goosebumps cause.. how weird is that?
i watched the news all day and kept thinking it was some media ploy..
that someone was finally going to come on and say they were only kidding. it wasn't true. false alarm.
i'll never forget watching the funeral procession. the silence. and her boys following the casket..
or the wreath of white roses on top of her casket that said only, "mummy." gulp. so heart breaking!
i would say elisabeth elliot is a hero of mine.
also a missionary named, darlene diebler rose.
two women whose ministry and writing have had such a huge impact on my life.
it's always fascinating to me how God designed relationships/people -
for us to feel this connection. be inspired. challenged. have those to look up.
heaven is going to be such a cool cool place to sit and visit and talk w/ so many of them, eh?
missing you today friend.
and love all the shots of her too -
ReplyDeletesuch a classic beauty!
I don't remember what I was doing, but I do remember how sad I felt at the news. The world lost a great lady. She would be so delighted with her new grandbaby.
ReplyDeleteAnother fan here! I'm thinking i first heard the news at church, and yes, it was a mennonite church too. :) A present day 'hero' that i have is Beth Moore, and this past weekend i was blessed to attend one of her Living Proof Live seminars! It was incredible! Still pinching myself :-)
ReplyDeleteI was a Diana fanatic and was stunned by the tragedy of her death. I cried, I was glued to the t.v. and read everything possible about what happened. I was even mad at God. I wanted to look like her and was inspired to be a better mother because of her. She seemed SO loving! Today, I really have no heroes or heroines but I do admire greatly a few people.
ReplyDeleteyep, me too. loved anything I could find on her. I still think sometimes it can't be true that she is actually gone. and yes, thinking too about how much she would love on that little grandbaby of hers.
ReplyDeleteI found out on a sunday morning in church that she died. but the evening it happened (sat.evening) my boyfriend had also proposed to me and I was on a serious high. :) so yeah, never will I forget the day of her death.
as for hero's... well, you are one of them for me. and Reagen. OH YEAH. my brother also was at his funeral..... isn't that interesting.
and yes, I will take you up on putting my thoughts into words and blessing another soul with some snail mail. great idea.
singingrachel
and guess what
I love this post so much!! And I'm encouraged to bless my heroes and heroines today. Diana was lovely and the events surrounding her death SO sad. Enjoy your breath-taking family today, Cindy. ~Luci~
ReplyDeleteThese photos of her are absolutely stunning! I can't believe it's been 16 years. I was still a newlywed (almost 2 years into it, with a young Jacob)....and remember saving the Sunday newspaper for the longest time and also being glued to the TV during those days. So very very sad.
ReplyDeleteRonald Reagan's funeral was so sad, we watched it all on TV with the kids. Watching Nancy was heartrending. They truly had such a loving marriage. So real and honest.