I watched the Royal Wedding on Friday in awe of the pomp and circumstance and a wee bit jealous of the fairy tale Kate Middleton was living out before the world’s eyes. Then I thought about her responsibilities and obligations being a newly crowned duchess, her lack of privacy and the microscope her every word and deed will be under. Her life is seemingly no longer hers as she surrenders to age-old traditions.
Suddenly I was not so jealous.
Then I remembered Princess Diana. Her existence was filled with the same responsibilities until her life took a scandalous turn, and she was scorned in front of the entire world.
Then she made an about face.
She accepted herself as a flawed human being and seemed to begin to live her life as a princess according to her own definition, not the definition according to a centuries-old monarchy. Her life consisted of charity and honoring humanity’s needs instead of humanity honoring hers. She began to redefine what it meant to be a princess; that selflessness can work miracles if guided through the proper channels. She carved out her own niche as the monarchy fell victim to their tradition and lived by example instead of life making an example out of her.
And so, by being true to who I am and bucking tradition, I seek to redefine what it means to be a housewife; that it’s no longer about honoring my husband, but about honoring myself with the loving support of my husband; that it's no longer about being ready to serve dinner as soon as he walks in the door, but about serving a cause or mission that will leave a lasting imprint on this world.
I wish the newly crowned Duchess of Cambridge luck in her new role as a potential trailblazer. Like Diana and I, I hope she seeks to make her life her own. There's something very regal about that.
No comments:
Post a Comment