My Farewell to Dame Elizabeth Taylor

I didn't plan to write a post on Dame Elizabeth Taylor, but I couldn't get her off my mind. Seeing some of her interviews over the past two days, I was so touched by her openness concerning her life and her loves. We can't thank her enough for taking up the AIDS cause, thus opening up small minds, allowing the whole world to benefit. She shared her bout with alcoholism and drug addiction with us, and by doing so helped so many; her actions saying, "I'm human," sending a message to others needing help that it was OK to seek it. In addition, her humor, sincerity, and many humanitarian causes, as well as her wonderful acting rolls, will never be forgotten.

As I looked through the many beautiful images of Elizabeth at Movie Maidens, I remembered what my aunt always told me as a teenager and a young woman: "Youth has its beauty." In others words, regarding makeup (for me), a young woman is naturally beautiful and needs very little if any makeup (remember that things were different back then, at least in my world).  I actually delayed serious makeup until my late 20s, if not my early 30s, because of these words.  And maybe, just maybe subconsciously, I didn't choose a more youthful photograph of Elizabeth, because as a young woman, she was naturally stunning, even as a child.  I chose a photo of her in her most beautiful seasoned years (again, to me), just as beautiful as the younger Elizabeth.  From as far back as I can remember until her death, Elizabeth Taylor has always been beautiful--her physical features--but the more I think back on her life and her contributions to our society, the more beautiful she became (from the inside out).

On a lighter note, I've learned that I had two things in common with Elizabeth.  First, I'm always late.  My coworkers always teased me about being late to my job interview, and despite this fact I was hired.  My manager would later joke that he hired me for my personality.  Second, I've always said that I would be late to my own funeral.  I recently learned that Dame Elizabeth made a similar statement.  Both of us have/had a sense of humor, at least I would like to think so on my part. 

There is even more.  In the early 1970s I worked for an insurance company in a specialized department, and every time Elizabeth was hired for a new movie, the movie studio would purchase insurance on her.  This is not unusual, but in the case of Dame Elizabeth, an extra step was taken.  I  would pull her file and accompany my supervisor upstairs a few floors above us where we would secure additional insurance on her from Lloyds of London through another insurance agent--umbrella insurance.  So Dame Elizabeth I know you've had a a long journey, not all roses, but you weathered the storm with strength, grace, and class.  Farewell to an all-around strong, beautiful woman.