Do You Remember When?

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. I remember where I was when I heard the news. It was the Saturday night of the long weekend, had just gotten home from an evening at the races with some friends. I was flipping channels and CNN had breaking news.

I felt compelled to watch as the world did.

In the days that followed, the mountains of flowers, tributes and memorials sprung up outside Buckingham Palace and the deafening silence from within the Palace only fueled the theories as to what really happened. Was it just an accident of tragic proportions or something more sinister.

I admit I jumped on the conspiracy bandwagon and still today have my own theories as to what happened. I was not a fan of the royal family.

Flash forward to today, my views of the royal family have changed and I have more of a sympathetic view of them now led by the shining example of her sons Princes William and Harry. They have grown up and matured into being wonderful and prominent people in the world.

They both had to deal, process their mother's death in a public setting. They have both come public about the effects their mother's death had on them and are paying it forward. Harry especially described his experiences as total chaos which we now understand some of his bizarre behavior in previous years. They have started the Heads Together campaign to bring attention to Mental Health issues.

20 years ago Diana was the most photographed and sought after woman in the world. Her every move was made public and criticized rightly or wrongly. Since then the world has allowed people in the public eye to have and lead a more private life. This is a good thing. They are regular people with the same issues as you and I.

Again led by the Princes example, they lead almost normal lives and there whereabouts are not chronicled with the same scrutiny. Here is the link to their website.

https://www.headstogether.org.uk/about-heads-together/

 To honor Princess Diana we can all put our heads together to end the stigma of mental health. Be open and honest and don't suffer in silence. See good in all people and don't judge them until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

I have and I am a better person for it today.