Sometimes I have some random thought that becomes stuck in
my poor feeble brain and it continues to swirl and circle until I take it out
and examine it. I was thinking about life, happiness, beauty. I was
thinking about what that means to me. And, sometimes you simply want to
think about something that makes you smile. Whether it was a funny joke,
your four-legged friend’s antics, the love of another, or the pure joy of a
child. Sometimes you just want to smile inside.
One of the images, or rather person, that always pops into
my mind when I want to think a feeling of happiness is of Audrey Hepburn.
As a child, I always thought she was one of the most beautiful and kind people
in the world. As my childhood was a bit cloudy and dark, I always
gravitated to adult images who appeared kind and gentle. She became a
part of my adolescent growth as what someone could be. I say that so you
understand this wasn’t a childhood crush on a star. This was a child who
was looking to find good in someone. That meant hope.
As I grew into adulthood, I was now fortunate enough to
realize that Audrey Hepburn truly was an exceptional human being. She
loved life, those around her, and those who were less fortunate. She was
a truly great humanitarian and example of what goodness can be. Here is one of
my all-time favorite quotes from her. It simply makes me smile and feel
happy. It makes me believe.
“I
believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe
in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to
be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe
that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” – Audrey Hepburn
A little about Ms. Hepburn from Wikipedia:
Audrey Hepburn; born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; (4 May 1929 –
20 January 1993) was a British actress, model, dancer and humanitarian.
Recognized as a film and fashion icon, Hepburn was active during Hollywood's
Golden Age. She was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest
female screen legend in Golden Age Hollywood and was inducted into the
International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame. Born in Ixelles, a district of
Brussels, Hepburn spent her childhood between Belgium, England and the
Netherlands. In Amsterdam, she studied ballet with Sonia Gaskell before moving
to London in 1948, continuing her ballet training with Marie Rambert, and then
performing as a chorus girl in West End musical theatre productions.
Following minor appearances in several films, Hepburn
starred in the 1951 Broadway play Gigi after being spotted by French novelist
Colette, on whose work the play was based. She shot to stardom for playing the
lead role in Roman Holiday (1953), for which she was the first actress to win
an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for a single performance.
The same year Hepburn won a Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play for her
performance in Ondine. She went on to star in a number of successful films,
such as Sabrina (1954), The Nun's Story (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961),
Charade (1963), My Fair Lady (1964) and Wait Until Dark (1967), for which she
received Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. Hepburn won a
record three BAFTA Awards for Best British Actress in a Leading Role. In
recognition of her film career, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award
from BAFTA, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Screen Actors Guild
Life Achievement Award and the Special Tony Award. She remains one of the 12
people who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awards.
Hepburn appeared in fewer films as her life went on,
devoting much of her later life to UNICEF. She had contributed to the
organization since 1954, then worked in some of the poorest communities of
Africa, South America and Asia between 1988 and 1992. She was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill
Ambassador in December 1992. A month later, Hepburn died of appendiceal cancer
at her home in Switzerland at the age of 63.
Namaste,
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