I want to grow up to be Betty White

I want to grow up to be Betty White 

I wrote this blog a week ago but had yet to post it when I heard the terrible news that she passed away 3 weeks shy of her 100 birthday.

I know I speak for all when I say she will be missed.

Last week I watched the Netflix special about Betty White and at 99 she is still going strong. She is an icon, a meme, a legend doing and paving the way for so many in this industry. Yet she's done it with kindness, with a never-ending smile and in her style, in her way.

Everyone who was interviewed said the same things about her. How she lights up a room, how she was always positive, and how kind she is to everyone no matter who you are.

These are words we can all inspire to that people will say about us towards the end of our lives. I would love to one day hear that I was a pioneer, that I inspired other women, that I was a survivor, and kept my positive attitude through it all.

I have always loved her since watching her as a little girl with my mom and grandma on the Mary Tlyer Moore show, back in the  dinosaur days. Then, on the Golden Girls later on, she had such amazing comedic timing and cracked us all up as Rose. But I didn't know so many other things about her that this documentary taught me.

She started out on live TV, doing 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, including doing her own commercials. That's amazing, and I doubt many actresses today could do that. She was one of the first women producers and writers, and the older she gets, the more of an icon she becomes. 

She shocks us because she looks so sweet, but she has an unbelievable raunchy side that cracks me up, and most don't see it coming. She is her own woman and has been for that lady for 89 years.

And if she couldn't be perfect enough, she has also been one of the biggest advocates for animal rights for years and still continues to work so she can pay for her causes, she says.

This woman is the whole package, and I only hope that one day I can grow up to be her, to still have the laughter, to still see joy in life. To wake up and be a positive force out in the world while also being a role model for young women to follow. I want to be kind even after the world has kicked me down many times. I want to be able to give back when so many are just in it for themselves. I still want to have a relevant voice at the end of my life as I had in the beginning of it.

So today, my friends, let's all try to be like Betty White, an inspirational force, with a kind smile for everyone you meet. What a combination, just think how much better the world would be if we all tried. One day, I want to grow up to be just like her, tough, funny, a ground breaker, a smart ass with a dirty mouth, kind, and with a heart of gold.

Thank you, Miss Betty. We love you, and you will truly be missed.

"Be the change you want to see." 

@TreadmillTreats