There was an accident this morning that closed off all of the main lanes of the interstate.  I was in the HOV lane, so I drove by and saw the minivan that had rolled over onto its roof.  One person was being wheeled on a stretcher towards an ambulance while more paramedics knelt over another working on her (or him) in the road.  That’s all I saw as I went past, but I sent up a little prayer for the people involved.

I didn’t know them, but I was the one with the time to ask for their safety at that moment–and it didn’t seem like the folks who were stuck in the mile-long back up would be in the mood.

I don’t mention this to prove my charity, but rather to explain.

There are times when I feel a responsibility to pay respect or bear witness to something that has NOTHING to do with me.

Exhibit A:

image source okmagazine.com

I may actually watch the wedding ceremony of William and Kate.

And this after I posted the following tweet yesterday:

@mammaloves Amie Adams

That tweet wasn’t a lie.  I swear.

I can’t stand all the pre-pre-coverage and pre-coverage and shit the extra coverage; HOWEVER, today I had this thought:

His mom isn’t there.  She can’t witness her son’s marriage.  But hey, I’m a mom.  I have sons.  I should do it for her.*

Maybe it’s the horror of the thought of not seeing my own sons finding their happiness–of not being there to witness it.  Maybe I hope someone would do the same for me.

It’s not like Diana and I were besties or anything.  I can say with relative certainty that she probably never even knew I existed, but we have motherhood in common.  And, in that way we shared an understanding.

So the hype and the commentators and the crazy Americans decked out in British flags who have camped out for days along the parade route will not gain my attention, but the ceremony–the exchange of vows–I will watch.  I will watch for the mother who can’t be there.

*I totally recognize this thought may mean that I’m insane and now you know that too because I’ve revealed my crazy-ass thought process on the internet, but if you know me or have ever read this blog before you already knew that.