I’m sad to say that I am looking at this Diamond Jubilee long weekend not with excitement, but as just another day. I would loved to have gone up town to watch the flotilla and be part of some of the other things going on, but it is on Sunday when I am at work. I have totally disregarded the fact that there are three other days of this celebration. It’s not like me but I fear the Grinch may have stolen my joy this weekend!
In my concern at being so grumpy I started thinking about what our family could do to change this, to have fun rather than let it all go by, when a friend’s status came up on Facebook which says “getting quite excited about the Diamond Jubilee, despite rain threatening plans for my Big Lunch BBQ on Sunday! Where were you for the Silver Jubilee in 1977?” Her joy at looking forward to the celebrations at first made me feel even sadder, but then kicked my butt! I excitedly replied to this status with my 1977 memories, I was twelve. We had a street party on our road, we all had to get dressed up and I went as an Edwardian lady, my mum made this amazing hat for me and I had a beautiful velvet long dress. If I remember rightly my sister wore a white toga and my mum made her a big shield out of cardboard and tin foil and my sister was Britannia, I forget what my little brother was!
We decorated the windows of our houses (see old photo of our house above), we put up flags in the street. We all took our dining tables and chairs out into the street, along with rounds and rounds of sandwiches. I remember there were games for the children, party games, races etc. And I think we all had our picture taken together at the end. My lasting memory is how much fun the togetherness bought, normally my Dad worked 24/7, but that day I can remember him laughing and dancing in the street with our neighbours. My mum made such an amazing job of our costumes I remember feeling like a princess.
The dictionary definition of Jubilee is “A season or an occasion of joyful celebration”. In the Old Testament the Bible speaks of a Jubilee as being every 50th year and it is a “a year during which slaves were to be set free, alienated property restored to the former owners, and the lands left unworked”
I am determined to give my kids some memories this Jubilee celebration, similar to the ones I have from when I was 12. It’s not gonna be another working day, it is a time to be set free, be given some time to spend with my family that I may not normally get, and to do no work during that time.
OK Grinch, I’m claiming back my joy! I am gonna have fun at the party tomorrow at church and we are going to make plans for the rest of the long weekend that don’t include work, staying at home or exam revision.
Happy Jubilee weekend everyone, try to make precious memories for your family, so that 35 years later they too can remember where they were and what they were doing at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with their family and friends!
May God bless your time together.
