I remember when I was five years old. It was 1981, hot in the middle of July,and everyone kept talking about "The Wedding Of The century". This was to be the wedding of Lady Dianna Francis Spencer & Charles, Prince of Wales. At the age of five, my whole world consisted of fairy tails! Walt Disney movies, princesses, fairy Godmothers, gnomes, fairies & yes I even had my very own 'imaginary' friend, who I now believe to have been my spirit guide (But that's ANOTHER post!)

Anyway, as the wedding grew near, there was coverage of Lady Dianna on every station. You couldn't turn on the TV, without seeing something on Lady Dianna Spencer this, or Lady Dianna Spencer that (which was very annoying when you're 5 yrs old & looking for nothing but cartoons, or The Brady Bunch!). But as I watched (yes even at five), I found her to be completely mesmerizing! She was shy & thoughtful, soft spoken, yet funny. She could say something without saying a word, just by her coy expressions. I thought that she was so charming & refined, yet down to earth & relatable. She reminded me of my babysitter, who most small girls will look to as role models or someone to aspire to be similar to. Whatever it was, I absolutely fell in love with this soon to be 'real life princess'.

The day of the wedding, I sat & watched for hours (again, yes even at five). Every station was covering this monumental event because it was to be the first time a British civilian married a British royal in over 300 years. Lotsa coverage is all I can say!

The wedding was every bit a fairy tail in my eyes as a five year old little girl. Commoner (Well not really, she was of noble blood) marrying a prince, big dress, beautiful horse drawn carriage, big church, balcony kiss, there was even a real life queen !!! However looking back on it in retrospect, as an adult, I realize that I let fantasy cloud reality. Because IMO it is now clear to me that it was more like a Saint marrying a frog, in a HORRID puffball of a dress - that wouldn't even fit into the beautiful horse drawn carriage, big church, balcony kiss (& this didn't even seem to convert the frog to a Prince!), and the real life queen, now more reminds me of the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid!!!

As I grew into a woman I followed The Princess, not faithfully like with tabloids & things of that sort. But whenever I saw a newsworthy clip on TV I would make time to watch the whole thing. Every time I saw a magazine featuring a new cause that she was supporting or advocating, I would buy the mag to find out what she stood for. I was always pleasantly surprised (although not really), at her humanitarianism. Like her efforts in the eighties to help people better understand that AIDS was not contagious by hand-to-hand contact. She made this point by hugging a small girl (w/out hesitation) who was infected w/the virus. It made headlines all over the world. Remarkable. Slowly people started to support & nurture AIDS patients.Some of those children hadn't been touched or hugged in so long, & my heart wept as I watched this on the news. I thought to myself, " Oh thank God for her, now at least they will have been hugged & felt love before they die!". I admired her advocacy on the land mines in Angola & Bosnia. I think that she put herself out there for the underdogs of the world , & didn't let the title of "Princess" keep her from risking her own life to attract the attention & media coverage that this issue so direly deserved. I admired how she taught her boys that royalty doesn't make you God, by making them wait in line at places like Disney Land, McDonald's, & other various places to enforce equality. I loved how she took her boys to places like Africa, Ethiopia, & other poverty stricken countries to show her sons what a blessing their wealth is, & how to put it to good use by supporting these causes & being a voice (And this was well before her sons were of the age to have to fulfill their royal obligations of charities & causes). I loved how gracefully she handled being stripped of her title by the Queen. I also loved the way she made men blush, & women want to hug her. I think she was truly the most remarkable, honest, real, honorable woman I've ever been blessed to share knowledge of. What an amazing soul!!!

The morning of august 31 1997, I had just finished watching Jerry Maguire on video at about 4AM. Since I hadn't had the TV stations on in about 6 hrs (we had actually watched 2 other movies before 'Jerry'), I caught the news a few hours late. To my shock & horror the very first thing I heard when I switched my TV to cable mode was, " It has been confirmed that Princess Dianna is DEAD"!!!! I literally dropped onto the couch & started sobbing.I was 21.

I mourned for three weeks straight. I only left my room to go to work, shower, & do my chores. No social engagements, no gabbing on the phone w/the girls.I would just lock myself in my bedroom & fill all of my spare time w/reading every tabloid I could get my hands on. After all the years of never buying that trash, I found myself obsessing over each magazine to just get one last glimpse of my beautiful role model, as I knew her...happy & vibrant & full of life love & cause. I absolutely refused to buy anything that wasn't a tribute to her. I couldn't bare even seeing a photo of the mangled car, or supposed death pictures of her. But anything that I could get my hands on that showed her in life, I bought w/out hesitation.

It was about a month before I could think about her w/out crying. But at work if someone mentioned her, I'd have to leave the room if it wasn't tasteful & it only centered around death pics & morbid stories. Does it seem a bit weird that someone whom I didn't even know affected me this way? Well I guess maybe to some it would. But given the fact that she wasn't just some celebrity that piqued my interest, but a woman whom I aspired to acquire the same qualities of. A woman who showed us all that no one is superior to any one else regardless of bloodline. Who also showed us the meaning of extending yourself past your titles & stature, past fear & past judgment. And a woman who made me want to be a better woman. And one day if I was lucky enough to have a child, I knew that just knowing her as slightly as I did, would help me to be a better mother than I would have ever had the chance to be, having never known her at all. I thank God, Mother God & the Universe that I was able to be here during her short journey, as I have learned so much from her.

Five years later, I became the mother of a beautiful baby boy. As any mother would, I tried thinking of the most honorable befitting name that an angel like that could carry. The name hit me first with a flutter in my heart, I could barely say it out loud, I was so overcome with emotion..."Spencer!". My voice quivered as I said the name, then again "Spencer!", this time feeling the certainty of what I knew was meant to be.

Today Spencer turned 7! And yes indeedy my boy knows that he was named after a Princess! And not just a princess, but The People's Princess. I've made sure that he knows exactly who she is, & what she stood for. Spencer ... to me that name means love, kindness, selflessness & action. To him it means " Mama loves & honors me".

I love you Lady, no titles - no labels...just you!
Thank you for being such an inspiration in my life, & helping to mold me as a woman & mother. You are missed immensely.

Happy Birthday Spencer, Mama loves you 'round the world & back again!

~applause~ Jaime, this is one of the most beautiful tributes that I've ever read in honor of Princess Diana.
It's so wonderful that she had such a positive influence in your life. I've always thought it a terrible thing that she passed-on at such a young age. It's a blessing that she touched your life and so many others with a passion of hope and good.
It's a heartfelt gift you've bestowed on your son to be her namesake. I know he must love the extra special way you've shown what a true treasure he is to you.

Thank you so much for sharing this part of your heart.

Wow, Jaime!! And Dawn, you summed it up so well! I will say it anyway though... Jaime, that is the best tribute to Diana I have ever read or could conceive of. In fact, that is the BEST tribute to anyone I have ever read. It was utterly beautiful. My heart is expanded and swelling with love. Thank you!

That is also the best story of how a child was given a name that I have ever read! Jaime, you amaze me constantly with your brilliant thoughts and your extremely effective ability to convey them through writing. I am amongst angels here. It is a fact.

How pleased Diana must be! To connect to her as you did is as much a reality as if you knew her personaly IMO because we are all connected as humans. And those in special positions of renowned, like Diana, are the part of collective humanity that is amplified so that many at once can connect and find expression through this figure. I feel this way about John Lennon, as one example, like I knew him and that he represents the specific best parts of me and who I would want to be like and who I admire. I also wept when Diana died and felt the loss because she was a part of all of us and she left a huge hole when passed over. To be famous is a way an important spirit can have a large family.

I probably didn't describe it fully, but I'm sure you know exactly what I mean Jaime, and you could have explained what I mean even better. I loved all the details you gave about Diana's life. It is so obvious that you know what you are talking about gurl. I am totally on-board with you and loving Diana and all she did for the world. All the love!

Anyway, I loved learning this bit about you and Spencer and how his wonderful name was chosen. Bravo, bravo, bravo!

Thank you so much Alisa! You are too sweet.

I loved her dearly, I'm glad that you can relate. My dad felt the same way as you did about John Lennon. He mourned for him like I mourned for Dianna. He even requested that his funeral song be "Imagine". He LOVED John Lennon & even respected Yoko, even though most people blame her for the beetles breaking up.I still have such vivid memories of my dad strummin on his old Washburn singin Jealous Guy...."I didn't mean to hurt you...I didn't mean to make you cry...". Good times, thanx for joggin my memory lady, I needed to think of Dad!

I'm a huge Lennon fan, & not just of his music, But of his way of living...free & open to all. Very in touch w/his spiritual self & very in tune with the universe. Which brings to mind my wake song, "Across The Universe" the beetles tune. IMO, the perfect representation of crossing over to the other side!

I'm so happy that we've all been touched by these beautiful souls, they both carried such special messages, I'm honored to have been their student.

Thank you for your wonderful words on my post, I'm always happy to share anything w/you!

Bless=-)

Thanks for elaborating on the syncs with John. I love your writing!