The United Kingdom is currently amid a national period of mourning to mark and honour the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
As we may choose to reflect on and consider the life and 70-year reign of The Queen, we should also be mindful that such times can resonate deeply with our own feelings and personal experiences of loss and sadness. This may feel confusing as most of us will have never met The Queen and will have no personal connection to profess but may still feel a legitimate and real sense of loss. At such times, we must treat ourselves with the kindness that we would treat others, and instead of trying to rationalise our feelings with logic, permit ourselves to experience them as they arrive and let them pass along as they almost certainly will.
When there is a pervading air of sadness and contemplation surrounding us, it can make room for some of our own big feelings to surface and require processing. This is not something to fear or shun, but something to engage with. Try to find positive ways to release those feelings through communication, connecting with others, music, creativity or physical movement. Whatever works for you and brings you comfort is the thing to pursue.
This is an historic moment in time with a global audience, but also in the simplest terms is a family grieving a dearly loved one. As The Queen reflectively said on the death of her husband, Prince Philip, “life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings.” She reminds us that regardless of rank or status, every one of us will experience feelings of joy and sadness in our lives as part of the human condition – and what a privilege that is.
