My mom used to enjoy drawing parallels between her life and that of England's Queen Elizabeth.
No, my mother didn't put on airs or wear a crown around the house as she did the laundry. But they were contemporaries, and I think in some fundamental ways, Mom related to QE2.
First off, they were born the same year. They'd come through the other side after World War II, got married to the loves of their lives less than one year apart and had a number of heirs. Mom won on that score, out-heiring the Queen by two.
The Queen's offspring did come close in age to me and some of my siblings. Charles was born in 1948, Anne in 1950, Andrew in 1960 and Edward in 1964.
The Queen bested Mom in the end, outlasting her by living to the ripe age of 96. And she did it with all her wits about her, which is huge. My mother wasn't so fortunate.
I have this weird picture in my head of Mom welcoming Lilibet to the party, giving her a big hug. It just seems like something she would do.
"Come over here and have a piece of cake and a cup of tea. You're going to love it here."
Rest well, ladies. You've earned it.
Photo of Queen Elizabeth is in the public domain.
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