Blog 1 — For Whom the Belle Tolls

I had just bought the latest issue of People Magazine with Betty White on the cover at the grocery store on Friday afternoon, touting her upcoming 100th birthday, and then I came home to the heartbreaking news she had passed away, just a couple of weeks shy of that milestone. I read that, by dying on New Year’s Eve and at her age, Betty ensured she would receive more toasts in her honor than probably any other celebrity in history. It’s always been said she had impeccable timing. At 99, White was considered Hollywood’s longest living actress, and while she had many roles during her career, my favorite without a doubt was the life she brought to Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls.

I have seen every episode of The Golden Girls no less than twenty times each. I know every storyline, every bit of a dialogue, and every slice of cheesecake ever consumed by the ladies in Miami (fun fact: did you know that actress Bea Arthur who played Dorothy actually hated cheesecake? Now that’s acting!). I don’t have a favorite character—I love them all and the beauty of the show for me is how well they all play off each other to create that timeless classic adored by so many of us. Those girls didn’t always have it easy, but they knew how to live! And they taught us some valuable lessons as we laughed with them along the way. Here are just a few things I learned over my many years spent soaking up the wit and wisdom of the Golden Girls:

You’re never too old to take advice from Mom. I can’t speak about wit and wisdom without mentioning Sophia. How many times did Dorothy go to “Ma” to ask for her opinion? And she was a mother figure to Rose, Blanche, and even clueless ex-son-in-law Stan along the way, too. Let’s face it, we all wanted to know what the lady with the straw bag was going to say, even when we knew it might be a little harsh. Anyone who’s dealt with the Sicilian mafia doesn’t have time for sugarcoating. Sophia always told it us straight without a filter and we always felt better after hearing her sage guidance. Now, picture it, Sicily….

Life needs more dancing. This picture is from one of my all-time favorite episodes, when the girls star in a local school production of Henny Penny. The costumes are fantastic, their chicken characters are spot-on, and it’s just good silly fun. Over the course of a show about senior citizens in their retirement years, you might be surprised to see the number of times dancing appears in the show (Rose and Blance doing a sexy tango, Rose cutting a cartwheel during a dance-a-thon, a tap dance number or two). The message is pretty clear: when in doubt, kick up your heels and have a good time. Life is too short to be taken seriously. Plus, dancing helps burn off some of those cheesecake calories, am I right?

Modesty is overrated. Oh, Blanche. Feisty, self-assured, confident. Couldn’t we all take a page from that playbook? Through Blanche Devereaux’s Southern belle and her stories of grandeur, we learned never to be afraid to toot our own horn. If you don’t think you’re great, how can anyone else? So hold your head high, keep your shoulders back, and head on down the the Rusty Anchor bar for a song or two atop the piano, just like Blanche would do. And, if anyone doubts you, in the words of our lady Devereaux, “Well, nobody ever believes me when I’m telling the truth. I guess it’s the curse of every devastatingly beautiful woman.”

And of course, there’s nothing that can’t be solved with the help of your friends (and a good round of dessert). The Golden Girls was more than a half hour sitcom; it is still so well-loved today because it taught us that we are all in this together. We really do get by with a little help from our friends. The best way to deal with this thing called life is to choose friends who become part of our family to sustain us through the years, the celebrations, the mundane, and the tears. Find your people and lean into them. And always stock your kitchen with an emergency cheesecake or two.

Life Lessons from The Golden Girls

For Whom the Belle Tolls