Taking the higher ground.

Some days I am fine with taking the higher ground. Some days I can laugh things off and go about my business.

But not all days.

I have been watching the coverage on the death of Queen Elizabeth and I have been impressed by how for decades and decades she kept her personal thoughts to herself. She had great restraint, at least in public. I watched the series “The Crown” (which I recommend) and if most of it was true, the Queen certainly had human moments and felt emotions of all kinds. But, she kept a ‘game face’ on when doing anything for her country and the other commonwealths. She promised as a young woman, when the throne became hers, to give her life – all her days – to her ‘role’ as queen, and to do it for everyone else. Quite a promise in her 20’s. One she kept until her death yesterday at 96.

For that reason I think Queen Elizabeth has been admired greatly. Some will say she missed opportunities to be an activist when she saw wrongs done. But, we don’t know what she privately said to leaders from around the world. Was she an influencer?

Here in the United States the idea of a lineage of monarchs is against what we believe. We have had a few families, like the Kennedys and the Bushes, who have gone into public service – but by choice. Not forced to serve because they were born into the family. We elect our ‘first families’ and I think that is something to think about – because when we put our vote towards a president we are also choosing the spouse, the children and other family members. Some Americans don’t put a lot of thought into it. But, I do. A happy home makes for a happy person. I want a leader who doesn’t have extra pressure on them because things aren’t good personally. The job of president is so difficult that I think it’s very valuable to have a supportive family, and people who will love you know matter what.

We can look back at our presidents in recent history and easily see who had a good family relationship and who did not.

Yesterday