Who Doesn't Love Betty White?

I must take this opportunity to admit that I have a girl crush on Betty White.  I love the woman.  She is hilarious, has had a wonderful career spanning the entire length of television, has made several movies and loves animals.  This past week, in a survey, she was voted the most trusted celebrity.  Again, who doesn't love Betty White\?

I have loved Betty for a while now, and I am lucky enough to have various people who support my addiction.  My mom got me a Betty White calendar, which incidentally is a treasure trove of Betty White trivia.  The man got me Betty White's book "If you ask me, and you probably won't".  I was excited to discover the Hallmark channel runs the Golden Girls late at night, when I really need a Betty fix.  I will watch Lake Placid, The Proposal and Bringing Down the House to see her. Old episodes of Boston Legal?  Check.  I even watched her guest spot on The Middle. I love Betty White.

Here are the top five things that I have learned from Betty:

1) Don't be afraid to try something new.  She has played a variety of characters and has done a variety of formats.  She was one of the first women on television (she had a variety show of some kind), and she is still doing it (on Hot in Cleveland).  I even learned (from my handy dandy calendar) that she switched roles with Rue Maclanahan because the character of Blanche was too much like the character she had played on the Mary Tyler Moore Show.  She stepped out of the box when she did Saturday Night Live, and she has never been funnier.

2) You can't plan everything, so do the best you can.  Betty tells a charming story in her book about when she had go onstage at an awards show to accept an award.  She hadn't expected to win, and had not prepared a speech.  She got up there, winged it, and got a shout out from George Clooney afterwards (See!  EVERYONE loves George Clooney too). 

3) Be kind to animals.  Betty has spent her entire life devoted to her pets.  She loves all animals and makes every effort to speak for those who can't speak for themselves.  While many may say that animals are not that important to them, Betty is passionate about animals and will go out of her way to help out where she can.

4) Find the love of your life.  Betty White had known Allen Luden for years before she married him.  He was the love of her life, and even though it took a year of marriage proposals before she married him, she never regretted it.  Her book and calendar are filled with happy images of the two of them.  My favorite picture in the calendar is their wedding picture.  They got married in Vegas, just them, no fuss.  While Allen has passed on, Betty has never stopped loving him.  She also wrote in her book that every so often a reporter on a red carpet will yell "Mrs. Luden" as this never fails to get her attention.  They had a wonderful life together and she cherished every moment of it.

5) Keep on keeping on.  It takes stamina and a lot of evolution to stay in show business as long as Betty White has.  While she has not always had huge parts in shows or movies, she has consistently worked for over 50 years.  At 89, the woman seems to have more energy than I ever will, and she keeps on going.  Her career has been an inspiration for many.

I will say it again.  Who doesn't love Betty White?