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| In the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death, we are witnessing every level of grief, from members of the Royal Family to strangers who knew her only as their Queen. We may have our own ideas of what is appropriate, but the only hearts we govern are our own. |
| No matter the number of mourners, grief is a singular experience. After a death, we gather to show our respect for the fallen and those who loved them, and we often hope to find comfort for ourselves, too. But even as we sit elbow-to-elbow, in chairs or in pews, each of us knows a sorrow unique to us. I think of this every time I witness a grieving family or community of friends erupt over perceived slights and missteps. We may have ideas of what are acceptable responses to grief, but so often in those moments of loss we are spontaneously us. |
 | | Queen Elizabeth II prepares to greet Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev at Buckingham Palace on November 4, 2015 in London, England. | | Chris Jackson, Getty Images | |
| Once again, I turn to one of my favorite books: "To Bless the Space Between Us" by John O'Donohue. This is a passage from his poem, "For Grief": |
| Your heart has grown heavy with loss; |
| And though this loss has wounded others too, |
| No one knows what has been taken from you |
| When the silence of absence deepens. There are traditions and expectations for wakes and funerals, but the human heart is not so easily harnessed. How many of us can describe a time when we were surprised by the magnitude of our grief? I have my stories, and I suspect many of you do, too. |
| The day after his mother died, King Charles III delivered his first address. He spoke to the world as the new monarch, but he ended his brief remarks as a grieving son, speaking directly to his mother: |
 | | King Charles III gives public speech to address the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. | | USA Today | |
| "And to my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: thank you. |
| "Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. |
| "May 'flights of angels sing thee to they rest.'" |
| This is the public version of King Charles, and it may or may not reflect who he is as a grieving son in private. We can never know, and we have no right to intrude. Even the most famous people in the world are entitled to moments of grief hidden from public view. We've all known the reasons why. |
| - Connie Schultz |
What else has Connie written? |
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