A few weeks ago the world’s stage shifted when it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle in the United Kingdom. Being somewhat of a royal-watcher I knew that her funeral would be broadcast live and I would need to wake vert early in the morning to have a first-hand viewing. I simply would not be satisfied with a collection of snippets and anecdotes that would be shared for years to come.
This knowledge was garnered from waking early in 1997 to watch the untimely funeral of Princess Diana of Wales.
Unlike the year 1997, alarms for multiple random reminders are much easier to set and manage in 2022. With the help of my handy cell phone I can set many reminders all during the day and label them with a unique tab. I have alarms set to wake up, leave the house, take medicine, pick up children, and many meetings through out the week. I use a calendar for events but also my phone as backup. I even have alarms set with my favorite scriptures as reminders of God’s goodness.
The Queen’s funeral was one of those random events I did not want to miss. As soon as her official arrangements were announced I made the proper entry into my phone so I would not miss a thing. I was preparing for all of the grandeur and majestic history that would be on display. My curiosity was also in overdrive to see who all would attend and where they would sit.
The funeral came and went just as expected but I never changed the label on my phone alarm. This is typical for me as I only relabel the alarms for new events.
On the morning of October 11th I woke up with my normal iPhone alarm. When I reached over to turn it off I glanced at my label to make sure I wasn’t immediately missing anything. There it was….still labeled… “Queen’s Funeral”. I stared at it for what felt like an eternity because I was, in fact, attending a Queen’s Funeral this day. Tears started to fill my eyes and I fought them back because I just couldn’t let myself cry this early in the day.
On this day our “mom friend group” shifted in an enormous way. Our friend, Daphne Butler, was being laid to rest after a courageous and lengthy battle with cancer. She was, in every sense of the word, a Queen. She never complained and she was always so hopeful and optimistic. She was so strong and bold, even into her very last days. She loved her children fiercely and never missed a chance to make it to the baseball field, even if she was sitting in the car.
Not only did she love her own children and grandchild but she loved Natchitoches Parish children for over twenty years in the classroom.
For so many years we had shared the bond of motherhood beginning in elementary school. In the early years we watched our kids in school in school plays, holiday parties, birthday parties, and league sports. As they grew into high school students we gathered to take photos of our children before milestone dances, we ate meals together as chaperones but family, and we attended high school sporting events and always sat in awe of their skills learned over the years. And what good is a mom friend group without the constant complaining of how fast time is flying by.
Your mom friends are very easy to take for granted because they are simply always there. They are always sharing pictures of your children when you cannot make events and filling in when you cannot be there because of work or other obstacles. Your mom friends are the ones who you text when you are not sure when an assignment is due or what time a game starts. I am honestly not sure how anyone raises children without a tribe of moms to stand in the gap for you.
I was blessed enough to know Daphne through the lens of family, high school friend, mom friend and teacher friend. She truly was a Queen…and she is now living with the King of Kings.
God is so good about placing people around us to walk on the path of life with us. I hope you appreciate them a little more each day that goes by and hug them a little tighter. We never know when it will be our last day with them.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18
