Thankful: That I Live in the 21st Century

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body 

and knit me together in my mother's womb.

Psalm 139:13

I am fascinated by the history of the British crown, particularly the time of the Tudors in the 16th Century.  I have read non-fiction and historical novels of that period, and find the people and the customs enchanting.  You can understand my interest, therefore, in the news that Britain believes that skeletal remains found buried beneath an English carpark are those of King Richard III.

British scientists believe "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the skeleton found during an archaeological dig in Leicester, central England, last August is that of King Richard, who was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.  Richard, of the house of York,  has long been a subject of scrutiny due to the events surrounding his ascension to the throne.  The disappearance of his two nephews from the Tower of London - the eldest of whom was awaiting his own coronation as king - has tainted Richard III's reputation and character throughout history.  I recently ordered Paul Murrray Kendall's biography, Richard III, and know that I will thoroughly enjoy perusing it.

Although I find this era endlessly fascinating, I can say with certainty that I would not have wanted to be a female living during that period of history.  There were very few women with any power or authority.  Most of them were housewives, without property or wealth of their own - everything being held in the hands of their husbands.  If, God forbid, you were the daughter of a man of political influence or royalty, you were not much more than a pawn on the chessboard of your father's push for position and influence.  I may enjoy reading English history, but I would not have wanted to live it.

How thankful I am that I live in an age when I can have a life and a career on my own, without the need for a husband or father to tell me what to do.  As I arrive home from a fulfilling day at work to my own warm and secure little bungalow, I am reminded yet again of the many blessings in my life.