When I was a little girl I had a mother who regularly dressed us both up and we drove in the big car to a town an hour away. The time period was the sixties which meant that “dressing up” meant heels, a dress, and fabulous beehive hair. For a little girl it meant a dress, leotards, and mary jane shoes. What wondrous mornings those times were knowing I was being allowed to sit at the “big table” with my Grandfather Geddie and Mother while they attended to business of some sort. When we would arrive at the Camden Hotel, I would love the way the doorman opened the door, how the table clothes (eye level about this time in my memory) hung perfectly ironed with the shiniest silverware and china, and beautiful flowers on each table. I often imagined I had arrived at court and perhaps they were simply being polite about my being royalty. I was SURE my mother was royalty, she was simply too exquisite not to be.
Funny how our little girl dreams stay with us in adulthood. One of my favorite things to this day is to dine with friends where the atmosphere is lovely. Mere Bulles in Brentwood, Tennessee is one of those spaces. On studio and training days, I often take our guests there for luncheons as now I am the one discussing business or enjoying quiet meetings with friends. I still love the elegance of pulling up to a doorman, who now parks MY car while I am ushered in and greeted by name. I love that everyone is royalty once inside. Friday as I walked inside Mere Bulles, in an instant I was transformed back to about four years old and the view from a delighted child. I laughed inside as I remembered being eye high to the table cloth but the thrill of the beautiful sun streaming on the lovely table was still inviting me to smile and know that I am queen. Actually, it is I who is more truly the Queen Mother…of my own child who now is royalty too. Aren’t we all royalty when we take time to fellowship, to live our best life through celebrating the success of our hard work?
Perhaps next time I shall bring a tiara.
