LONG LIVE DEDICATION AND DUTY

As we absorb the news that after a 70-year reign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away, each of us will reflect in different ways. Just like the diverse Commonwealth, she was the monarch of; there will be various emotions to her passing.?

For some, it may rekindle memories and feelings of parents or grandparents, stories of the 1954 royal visit or other royal visits. Some will reflect on their interactions with The Queen, whether seeing her in person or through the many occasions we joined with her marking some celebration or commemoration via television.??

For some, it will remind them of the pain and suffering that the institution she was head of did to their people and land.?

Whatever our reaction, the words Dedication and Duty are constantly used to describe her 70-year reign. Whatever you feel about the Monarchy as an institution, it was The Queen’s sense of Dedication and Duty to put others first that enabled her to stand out across the globe as a respected and loved leader. Over 70 years and all the changes that our society and world have gone through, her dedication to service was always a constant.??

The words Dedication and Duty sit comfortably with rural health workers. We see it all the time in small country villages and towns. In regional cities, so many individuals have dedicated their lives to the service of others. Whether it be doctors, nurses, aged care workers and many other health professionals, our health system would crumble (like many different aspects of our society) without these people's Dedication and sense of Duty.?

One of my enduring images of The Queen was at a procession of vintage cars at Buckingham Palace, it was a cold and rainy London day, and The Queen was due to stand on a platform to watch a drive-by for just under an hour. Of course, not all the cars could pass within that time. So, under an umbrella for three hours in the cold and rain, an 80+ year-old woman stood and enabled everyone to have their moment with their Queen. Dedication and Duty.?

Whatever you feel, we can all agree that the world needs more people with that sense of Dedication and Duty because it represents putting community and others first. It is what is at the heart of RDN and rural health. The world lost its most extraordinary ambassador to that ethos. The most incredible legacy for The Queen and the other unsung champions is to renew this sense of service in ourselves. Long live Dedication and Duty.??