The world celebrated the arrival of a new prince this week, and though the giddiness and hype with which many (especially news outlets feeding the 24/7 monster) awaited the birth was irritating at times, I have to confess that I felt a lump in my own throat and a tear in my eye as I watched the beautiful new parents walk down the hospital steps with their bundle of joy.
Part of it has to do with the fact that I am old enough to remember the new baby’s father, the future king of England, being carried down those very same steps in the arms of his lovely mother, Diana, snatched away from the adoring world way too early.
I’m also old enough to remember the fairy tale wedding that long ago summer before my senior year of college, when I was living in New York with friends who set the alarm to wake up in time to witness the pomp and pageantry of the royal wedding that united Prince Charles and his bride. It was a time when I was still young enough to believe in happily ever after, not just for myself (this was years before Bill jogged — literally — into my life) but the radiant young kindergarten teacher who would marry the love of her life.
Well, we all know what happened there, and we all know that fairy tales are the stuff of fiction, which is why the birth of a baby — with all the promise of a new life and the discoveries of young parenthood — is good reason for the world to stop spinning so crazily, if only for a moment, and collectively cheer.
It is a summer where the world, once again, has been too much with us, though it seems that we say that every year. But the list goes on and on: the huge miscarriage of justice in the George Zimmerman verdict, the crash of a Korean airliner in California, 22 schoolchildren in India dying after eating free school lunches laced with poison, a relentless heat wave at home that is causing farmers to check their crops with a worried eye, constant political scandals including the re-emergence of Anthony Weiner as a New York City mayoral candidate (give it up, buddy, you’re toast), another wrong-way crash on a major roadway (the Tappan Zee Bridge), the Arizona wildfires that took the lives of 19 brave firefighters, and the freak accident that killed a woman riding a roller coast in Texas. I have always been nervous about the safety latches on the seats — but this story in particular has sealed the deal — no more roller coasters for me.
There are silver linings in most of these stories, and this would be indicative of the progress society makes as we evolve through time and experience. For example, the Texas accident has refocused attention on roller coaster safety (I’m still not going on), Asiana is probably the safest airline to fly right now, and pilot training is being re-evaluated (good for all of the flying public), the stand-your-ground law is receiving well-deserved scrutiny and maybe, just maybe, this time the public outcry will be loud enough for Anthony Weiner to disappear forever from political life (please please please!).
The reality is that news happens just as life happens, and it is not always going to be pretty. How would media organizations survive without the stories and events that shape their newscasts, headlines, and bottom lines? It’s not pretty. However, Kate Middleton and her husband and new baby are, and that is why I, along with the rest of the world, love their story and wish them the happily-ever-after that the baby’s grandmother never got.
It’s also a nice shot of spice in the middle of our searingly hot, drippingly wet, and uncomfortable summer. It is that strange in-between phase when Will’s travel lacrosse season has just ended, and our August family vacation has not yet begun. We’re still trying to iron out the paperwork for Molly’s junior year abroad and quaking over the tuition and rent payments that have gone out and for those yet to come. It’s like confronting the ghosts of Christmas past and future, and the present is not so pleasant either as it involves lots of heavy outgoing bills.
Not to pile on the complaints, but our house is starting to show the signs of middle age (not unlike the owner) and has been in need of attention — actually, lots of attention. We replaced the water heater to pre-empt a potential flood in our basement as has been experienced by neighbors with homes of the same vintage. Last summer we replaced the upstairs air conditioning unit and were told the downstairs was fine. Guess again. We just replaced the downstairs. Vents to the outside are broken, and our contractor told us not only are we letting heat and cooling out, we are potentially letting in weather and bugs and potentially furry little critters. To which I say eww. please fix the problem quickly at any price.
I’m not ashamed to confess that it’s a nice little diversion from the trials and tribulations of everyday life to celebrate the arrival of a new baby, especially one who has been waited for as long as this one has. Kate Middleton may never be anything close to a suburban mom, but she is a mom, and that gives her a common bond with mothers all over the world who can share in her joy. In that — though we may not have titles and tiaras, limitless nursery budgets, or the adoration of the world — we are not so different in what we want for our children: health, happiness, and the chance to live up to their potential.
