A Weekend for the Ages

For the first time in a long time, I find myself being drawn here to write about current events. This weekend has been one to remember, and for mostly positive reasons. I say mostly because, although Osama bin Laden is dead, he did still kill thousands of people who will never come home to their families.

Obviously, the weekend started off with Friday’s royal wedding. I can’t say that I know much about the British monarchy, or that I even took an interest in the months leading up to the royal wedding. I didn’t get completely engrossed in the details or follow the media blitz that surrounded the engagement and wedding planning. But on Friday, I found myself glued to the tv, and kind of annoyed that I had to leave for work in the middle of the ceremony, but I DVR’ed it and watched it this weekend. As I listened to coworkers, a generation older than I, discuss where they were when Charles and Diana were married, I realized that Friday’s wedding would likely be a “Where were you when….” moment, and I would think back to being at work on that day, miserable as could be, but struck by the amazing beauty, the pageantry, the regality of it all. These two looked like they were truly in love; they couldn’t stop looking at each other, and William couldn’t stop himself from looking back before she reached his side. Every time they looked at each other, they smiled. Watching the whole thing unfold gave me the warm and fuzzies, and admittedly, a twinge of jealousy that I could not have a princess wedding. It made me wish I could visit London and see these beautiful places up close and in person, and maybe travel to other European countries that I’ve always wanted to visit but never been able to convince myself to.

Just one of those things I wish I had done before I got married and had kids.

And then last night, as I was getting ready for bed, I decided to turn on the news for a minute to check the weather. I had planned to go to bed an hour earlier, but ended up throwing another load of laundry in the wash and folding what had been in the dryer. I saw the news about Osama bin Laden and was stunned, really. The magnitude of the death of a man that had been an enemy to so many at the hands of the US military, feeling ecstatic because he’s dead, but dread because it will likely lead to further attacks. I watched as crowds gathered in DC and NYC, celebrating the death of this man that had caused so much pain and so much suffering and I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. It was another “Where were you when….” moment and I will forever remember, when asked, how I felt and where I was, when I found out that this terrorist had been brought to the ultimate justice. There are no words to describe.

I’ve heard it described as the perfect fairy tale ending; the princess married her prince, the bad guy was defeated, and we all lived happily ever after.

A girl can dream, right?

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