Celebrity Loves.... Our Sweet Shirley Temple

When celebrities pass away, such unusual public mourning and indescribable private sadness accompanies their death.  I am usually shocked, mostly sad..  And for a few... Just a few...  I feel as if we somehow lost an extended member of the family.   Today...  Shirley Temple passed away...  My mother's personal, lifelong favorite...  I knew she would cry because I already had cried for her...

Those of us who never found, or even searched for, our fame are often bound intrinsically with someone from the news...  Or from history.  I think a part of our heart and soul responds to the messages sent out from that celebrity soul...  And we become one-sided friends.  I never hold it against the famous person that I don't hear from him or her, get invited to the home, or even, in fact, enter life as they know it... At all.  I just negotiate the "relationship" with full knowledge that had she known me, we'd be friends.  If Shirley knew my mother, oh yes!  Such happy friendship would have happened...

Several years ago we hosted a party for Shirley and our wonderful Doll Club friends.   Here is the link to that event...  I texted my son, who is now a computer programmer and instructor...  And I'm sure his tender heart shed a tear, as well...  He grew up laughing and clapping with Mom to her extended collection of Shirley Temple movies.

Shirley, although not my personal celebrity, certainly kept her dignity....  And her privacy.  I can think of no other better way to close out a long and lasting love relationship with her public.  Everyone has the perfect right to live exactly as they choose. I love to see the stars and have to give some credit to their dedication to their public....   For many, the tug of popularity is greater than common sense and personal dignity...  So these once and very nearly famous will dance with the stars, rant and rave at the paparazzi,  and fumble through countless cameos.  Not Shirley.

It appears, at least, she granted very few interviews, did her best to extend her fame as an ambassador, and lived her happy, private life as a real person.  Possibly all those choices are the reason many of us, including my family, have real sadness today...  Truly the world has lost a very special woman...  And in the heavens, a little star will somewhere begin to dance...  Sparkle, Shirley.  We will miss you!