No more wait for Kate

Call me sappy, but my heart was aflutter this morning when I read about Prince William's engagement to his longtime lady love, Kate Middleton. I've never considered myself a "royal watcher," although I do remember staring in awe as Diana married Charles. I was at Camp Blue Star in the summer of 1981 and the counselors actually gathered all of us in a large cabin normally used for play rehearsal and wheeled in a television so we could watch the event live.

But as with most real-life fairytales, this one would not go the distance. I still recall the heartache of Diana's interviews regarding her decaying marriage and the heartbreaking accounts of her philandering boyfriends and untimely death. It's hard for me to believe she was actually younger than I am now when she was killed.

But despite the inevitable comparisons to his mum, I think Kate is quite a catch. From all accounts, she appears to be independent and smart and certainly will make a fine addition to the royal family's Christmas Card. As an American, I'm just a tad fascinated by the British Monarchy. I hear stores are already stocking Kate and William memorabilia to commemorate the young couple soon to be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. But I also love that the two of them originally met as roommates in college and now are still regularly photographed shopping in their local grocery store. Their lives may be as far from mine as you can get, but snippets of them are just a wee bit relatable.

As a mother, it's bittersweet thinking that his own mom won't be around to watch her first born walk down the aisle. I love that he proposed with his mother's ring and I am sure this elaborate celebration will draw all sorts of comparisons to the ones his parents took part in 30 years ago. Let's just hope this royal marriage has a happier ending.