Kollam: Sister Tessy Mary FIH chanced upon the news of Queen Elizabeth’s 70th wedding anniversary on one of her routine news-reading sessions.
Having known the western culture at close quarters during her short stint as a teacher in Indiana, she was awed by the longevity of the royal marriage. Impressed, she sent the queen a congratulatory note along with an artwork she made.
But Sr Tessy was in for the biggest surprise of her life when the queen responded to her letter, expressing appreciation on her message. “This is beyond my wildest dreams, I wasn’t definitely expecting a reply from the queen,” she says.
Sr Tessy says she found it really laudable that the couple could preserve their marriage for long 70 years while their three children parted ways with their first spouses.
“I was touched by the long-lasting bond, a rarity in our times. I have seen couples heading for a split after a very short period, so I felt should convey my admiration,” she says.
Self-taught artist
A teacher for the last 37 years and a self-taught artist, Sr Tessy says she made a symbolic artwork to mark the platinum jubilee.
“I placed the couple’s picture in the middle of a sunflower along with four small flowers representing their children. In my note I wrote ‘you are a model to the broken world’,” she says.
A couple of days ago she received a mail from England which contained a card and message from the queen. The letter was from Susan Hussey, the lady-in-waiting of Elizabeth II which read, “Although unable to reply to you personally, The Queen was touched by your kind thought for Her Majesty and His Royal Highness.”
The card had pictures of the royal couple on their wedding day and 70th wedding anniversary. “I was overwhelmed by the gesture. My only regret is that I don’t have a copy of the handmade card I sent her because people keep asking about it,” she says.
(The Hindu)