A CHANCE TO BE

 

“All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall.”

― Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers

Flying over the lush green fields with the sun creating shadows on the ground below from the few puffy white clouds floating along in the light currents of air, after seven months I was arriving back into London Gatwick Airport. I felt the excitement brewing in the air, a chance to share in a moment in history with my native homeland. Whether or not someone agrees with the monarchy or the enthusiasm of the people who believe in it, this is a special moment that will be remembered in history and recounted to generations to come through the recording of events and the power of memories passed on through families and groups of people sharing common ground. I am proud to have been a part of this gathering with communities around the world coming together, united to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III and to have shared the experience with my husband who has helped me to experience first-hand, in everyday life, the beautiful Italian culture.

The alarm went off at 4.30 am and we were up, making the last preparations and then on our way towards the station to head onwards to London. People were starting to gather on the platform and the flags were coming out, with portable chairs, bunting, picnics and waterproofs that they packed onto the trains, proudly sporting their takeaway coffees and snacks. Even though it was early, there were smiles and animated chatter as the train pulled away. As the train stopped at each station nearing London, the real character of this small Island started to come into view. So many different languages, cultures and ideas meeting on a journey towards the uniting of a people that went much deeper than the crowning of a single individual.

Arriving in London and going through the underground and out at Green Park Station, the place was alive and filled with a buzz and sense of importance that we all needed to get to a shared destination. There was a determination in the eyes of all the people walking, no one wanted to be left behind and there was a clear row of volunteers and policemen and women stretching the entire route. Each person had a specific role, and was serving those around them and the larger community. People from the crowd chatted to one another and offered advice.  The pace picked up as the mall entrances were suddenly closed and my husband, Romeo and I quickened our effort on foot to get to the large screen in Hyde Park. 

A black car surrounded by flashing police vehicles and bikes sped past us on the way to the ceremony. We paused for a moment to try and get a photo and then we all continued on with directions from those guiding us along the route. As I looked around me at the expressions of those in the crowd on foot and the police officers protecting us and the city, they were genuine and the reality of what this meant was starting to sink in. The man, our King Charles III, was representative of the hopes of a nation and many people worldwide that we can come together, even after devastating events and pain, stand with one another, working in union as this crowd did and get beyond the hatred and bitterness that has only one result, to tear apart and destroy.

A silence enveloped the crowds as the crowning ceremony began. This wasn’t Brexit, this wasn’t about so much division of families, communities and societies due to Covid and exiting the European Union, this was a gathering of human beings standing shoulder to shoulder, umbrella to umbrella, for a purpose that silenced differences, that showed the spirit of a people from all walks of life, backgrounds, religions and cultures. The rain was falling, but it didn’t matter; it didn’t matter about the words of those who had judged all this, it didn’t matter about so many feuds and problems at that moment. Yes, we weren’t and aren’t a perfect nation, yes, King Charles III may have made mistakes in his life and may do so in the future, but this was not about throwing the first stone, it was a time of mutual understanding and respect. The strength of unity and the belief to support and value a shared future shone through.

The question is: are we willing to give people a chance? Will we allow others to change and try? Can we accept or be open to welcome difference? This is not denying past mistakes or bad judgement, but the willingness to see beyond and be aware of the fragility of human beings and our nations, and our own humanity. How would we want to be treated in the same circumstances and tarred with the same brush? Kindness and unity were the aspects of this day that I will carry with me, and I hope, not forget. I am proud to be British, proud in my heart to be a European even if my country is no longer a member of the EU, and proud to have shared this day with my husband and all those who can believe in a greater good, not always visible in life but clearly present on the faces and hearts of those around me that day. If each of us makes a decision to mindfully put into action these values during everyday life, the future of everyone will be so much more hopeful and genuinely happy.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

― Aesop