You know that question, What famous person would you most like to have lunch with? Without a doubt, for me it’s Betty White. Like so many, I was gobsmacked by the news that she had passed on December 31, just weeks short of her 100th birthday. I thought she would live forever.
The tributes and interviews on the days following her death underscored what a remarkable human being she was. Wendie Malick, Betty White’s Hot in Cleveland co-star, describe Betty’s unfailingly positive outlook: “You can always find something to be happy or grateful about,” Malick said, “and Betty worked very hard at that. That was her credo.” James L. Brooks, co-creator of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, said simply, “Betty was deeply a good person.”
Therefore, today – on what would have been her centennial birthday – I suggest we honor this funny, kind, positive and decent woman by striving to be more like her…not only today, but every day.
Lessons from Betty…in her own words
Stay positive: “I know it sounds corny, but I try to see the funny side and the upside, not the downside. I get bored with people who complain about this or that. It’s such a waste of time.”
Find the funny in life: “If one has no sense of humor, one is in trouble.”
Look for inspiration: “Snow always inspires such awe in me. Just consider one tiny snowflake alone, so delicate, so fragile, so ethereal. And yet, let a billion of them come together through the majestic force of nature, they can screw up a whole city.”
Practice compassion: “Keep the other person’s well being in mind when you feel an attack of soul-purging truth coming on.”
Move: “I have a two-story house and a bad memory, so I’m up and down those stairs all the time. That’s my exercise.”
Forget about age: “You don’t fall off the planet once you pass a given age. You don’t lose any of your sense of humor. You don’t lose any of your zest for life or your lust for life.”
Be kind to animals: “You can always tell about somebody by the way they put their hands on an animal.”
Adopted from an MSPCA shelter more than 12 years ago, Romeo was very sad to hear that Betty has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.
To honor this pioneering animal advocate, the “Betty White Challenge” encourages people to donate to local animal shelters.
Let’s make Betty proud: #BettyWhiteChallenge
“I just care what kind of a decent human being you are.” ~ Betty White
