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."
