Today on campus a classmate said to me “I saw your queen crying yesterday”. I honestly didn’t know what she was talking about. The past 48 hours or so I’ve been scrolling online through a sea of pictures, most of them depicting the blast and some others from yesterday depicting the candle light vigils and the protests. I seem to have overlooked some of the most powerful images of this tragedy yet; those of HM King Abdullah II and Queen Rania visiting the wounded at the local hospitals. I don’t know how to explain it, maybe it’s because I only have basic cable and the luxery of 24/7 news channels is not available to me which means the net is my main source, or maybe it’s being so far away from all of this and wanting nothing more than to be so near it. But these images are honestly comforting. I think those of us living abroad, so far from home, can empathise.

I also think in such a time I have to tip my hat to both their royal majesties for their quick reaction and compassion throughout these events. I cannot begin to imagine what their visits to the injured meant to those people. Lifting someone’s spirit is not a typical thing you’d find on a resume.