Royalty is not immune to old age

Could My Mom Be Friends With The Queen?

Two great women from the Greatest Generation

When Queen Elizabeth II became the Queen of England, my mom was twenty-six-years old, one year older than the twenty-five-year-old Elizabeth who had recently married and was not expecting to wear the crown.

But there Princess Elizabeth was, preparing for her coronation, while my mom prepared dinner for two small children and a husband.

Today my mom is ninety-seven and the queen is ninety-six. I try to imagine my mom presiding as a queen, but my mind falls short. I can’t get past the fact that my mom doesn’t know what year it is, who is president, or why she is soaking wet after taking a shower.

The only similarity between my mom and Queen Elizabeth is the fact they were both born in The Greatest Generation.

During WWII the Queen drove a truck. My mom was Rosie the Riveter.

The Queen had a love for riding horses. My mom loved driving around in a convertible with the top down.

Throughout the decades, The Queen has led opening sessions in Parliament. My mom has led politically charged conversations at the dinner table.

The Queen understands the power of silence. To my mom, silence is an enemy.

The Queen didn’t take her husband’s name. For years my mom didn’t even have her own name. She was known to the world as Mrs. Calvin Singman.

The Queen owns a variety of animals all living in the London Zoo. With all the commotion at our house, my mom feels like she is living in a zoo.

The Queen uses her ever-present purse to send signals to her staff. My mom clings to her purse for dear life, often communicating with someone I can’t see or hear.

The Queen drinks a glass of Champagne every night. My mom has a glass of Bourbon every night.

The Queen speaks fluent French. My mom speaks fluent Canine.

As I watch the Queen smile and wave during her Jubilee Celebration, I wonder what lies beneath her royal garments. Afterall, royalty is not immune to bodily malfunctions, especially at ninety-six.

And I wonder why she missed some of the Jubilee events. My mom misses quite a lot during the day, as she often dozes off while reading the paper, worrying me that a fly will land in her open mouth.

I’m assuming the Queen has someone to ward off that happening to her.

But mostly, as I watch, I see Queen Elizabeth surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. And realize to the little ones, she is simply Grandma. Some of them are too young to realize they are in the presence of such an important world figure.

I look at my mom who is also simply Grandma to her grandchildren and great grandchildren. And I realize that from the day she wore a paper tiara and we played tea party, she has always been like a queen to me.

And a very important person in our family.

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