Queen Elizabeth II has died and we miss her in Southern Illinois. When I heard of her passing today…tears came to my eyes. I have always been fascinated by the United Kingdom and Elizabeth was Queen before I was born. As a child, I studied about the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock and soon learned that we began in England. I can recall that the thought of ever being able to visit the UK was little more than an inspirational dream…until it became a reality.

In 2012 we took a cruise around the United Kingdom and then stayed with our dear friends, Margo and Jeff, who lived in Redhill, Surrey…near London. We simply had a lovely time and visited London almost every day that we were there. It became clear to me that Britons love their Queen. Buckingham Palace is fascinating. Jeff told me that when they became citizens of the UK that experience left him with tears in his eyes and a heartfelt appreciation for Queen Elizabeth. There is a permanence and a sense of place and stability that emanated from Elizabeth 70 year reign. Politicians with the heated rhetoric and who say whatever they need to say to obtain a vote…as compared with the calm and dignified presence of a monarch who took the slings and arrows of the passing of time and yet understood the true meaning of, ‘Keep Calm and Carry On.’

I sent MJ a photo of Queen Elizabeth preparing to meet the new British Primeminister, Liz Truss. The Queen had such a lovely smile on her face and looked so engaged and engaging…I had a thought…this might be her last photo…