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Health & Fitness

Two Events Bring Us Together, Royally

It started with the Royal Wedding and ended with Osama bin Laden's capture.

My daughters and I were a few of the billions of people that watched with enthusiasm the Royal Wedding on television on Friday, April 29, 2011. In lieu of fancy fascinators, big hats, and designer dresses, we opted for cozy pajamas in our living room. It was so fascinating to learn about the ‘royals’ and their traditions through the talking heads (I had no idea Princess Diana had “royal blood flowing through her veins” when she married Prince Charles or that they had only been with each other 13 times before their widely watched “I do’s”). For the weekend anyway, I had become engaged in all news royal.

Why was I so enthralled with this? I think part of it was because it was “happy”and “light” news—being brought into a world of fantasy. It was a nice departure to hear Anderson Cooper discussing the designer of a hat or dress rather than our typical daily political discourse, no matter how uncomfortable Anderson sounded. Speaking of the dress, the dress was beautiful and so fitting for the newly-named Duchess of Cambridge. Personally though, I thought she looked so beautiful because, unlike Diana, Kate Middleton had an air of confidence and maturity, as though she did, in fact, choose to marry her prince and was willing to undertake what it would mean to marry into royalty.

Another reason I was so enthralled with the Royal Wedding and the royal traditions was how this event brought together the Brits. You could buy stick-on nails with the couple’s picture on it! Did you see all those people that came out to cheer, to support, to party? Even Camilla Parker Bowles, Prince Charles’s new wife, was cheered in the streets. All of those people that crowded the streets from the palace to Westminster Abbey to catch a glimpse of the couple and to be a part of this history were celebrating their country and their monarchy. It was chilling.

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Interestingly, on Sunday evening, I was awake when the news broke that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S. forces. I watched as the young people cheered in front of the White House chanting, “USA, USA” and how people spontaneously gathered at Ground Zero. Our country too, it appears, has been brought together again this weekend. It was chilling. 

Both events, historical and amazing! I must say though, I’m really glad that President Obama has two young girls at home. I’d really like to think that President Obama timed the strike perfectly—after the fantasy headlines and the enjoyment of the Royal Wedding were coming to an end. Tell me, did you celebrate the Royal Wedding or the Bin Laden news?

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