Thank you for being a friend

Betty White

This one hurt bad y’all. After all, I’ve been riding the Betty-White-Bandwagon since the early 90s when I was just a wee lad. Each week, I’d tune in with my mom to watch our favorite show, The Golden Girls. The jokes from the show would give me a sidesplitting laughter that I swear I can still feel to this day 🤣! I was so impatient to see Betty turn the big 💯, but I guess sometimes 99 and 1/2 will have to do 😞.

Rose Nylund

When asked “Who’s your favorite Golden Girl?,” I often hear people answer “Sophia.” Don’t get me wrong…Estelle Getty as Sophia was ingenious. But I have always been enamored by Betty White as Rose Nylund 😍. Rose was, to me, a beautifully constructed character, sincere, naïve, and unpretentious, with a healthy dose of “take no shit.” Perhaps the reason I love Rose so much is because I see myself as possessing similar qualities. (Though when God made me I think he got the dosages mixed up and gave me too much “take no shit” and not enough of the others. The ingredients are still mostly there though I think).

The Best of Times

While she was with us, Betty gave us some timeless laughs. Anyone who enjoys The Golden Girls as much as much as I do will absolutely love this video with some of her funniest moments on the show.

When 💩 Got Real

When The Golden Girls premiered in the 80s, it was incredibly progressive for its time, tackling topics that left audience members asking “Did they just go there?” In the clip below, Betty shows us her range with a more serious portrayal as Rose confronts the possibility of having contracted HIV.

Why it’s Personal

Watching Betty White on The Golden Girls is a tradition I’ve carried with me from childhood to adulthood. Like Rose, I, too, have faced my fair share of challenges that made me want to trade in sincerity for cynicism and optimism for despair. In moments like those, I often find myself retreating back to my old habit of watching my favorite ‘Golden Gal’. If laughter actually is the best medicine, then Betty White was something like my therapist and pharmacist wrapped in one.

Saying Goodbye

All that being said, this post is dedicated to you, Betty. Your life and your artistry have touched the masses. And your willingness to share your gift with the world inspires me to do the same.

As Rose Nylund once said, “There are so many ways to say farewell. Auf Wiedersehen, arrivederci, adiós, hasta luego.” With so many options, I think I’ll just settle with “Thank you for being a friend.”

With Love,

James

An Encore for Betty

I can’t end this post without an encore for Betty! The clip below is from the episode “Sophia’s Choice” when Rose and Sophia rescue a friend from a retirement home. This episode has become one of my favorites since Betty’s passing. If you watch it, you’ll understand why.