One of my treasured childhood mementos is a letter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's lady-in-waiting. I'd sent Her Majesty a birthday card, never thinking that I'd get any kind of a response. Holding that elegant card, signed by hand and tucked into a just-as-elegant envelope made me feel like a resident of Buckingham Palace. I took it out often, read the words, then carefully placed it back in its special place in my bedroom.
I clearly remember Princess Elizabeth's ascent to the throne. She was 26 years of age; I was nine. Following the national period of mourning that accompanied her father's death, we celebrated the transformation of a shy princess into what she was to become, an admired and respected Queen. She's now 86 years of age, still beautiful and still incredibly "on the ball".
For those of us who are citizens of a country belonging to the British Commonwealth, this has been a memorable weekend: the commemoration of six decades of life in a regal fishbowl. It's also been a time of personal reflection for me.
I have no intention either of becoming morbid or of sitting back and giving up but the reality is I'm getting older. That wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have all these projects I want to complete before my life is ended. At the top of the list are at least two books that are begging to be written (keeping my desk looking like a TV show makeover has been scratched off the list - I've decided to love it, without the big reno budget).
A friend and business colleague taught me the importance of taking baby steps so this week's step is a writing retreat. I can't disappoint those begging books!
"Direct my steps by Your word" Psalm 119:133
Decades ahead, here I come!
