Picture of the Week 1/27/08

Screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Reading the blog yesterday gave me quite a few things to think about. Loss is complicated, whether it's a family member, lover, pet, close friend or other. "OTHER"? you're probably thinking. Yes, other. Have you ever watched a movie or tv program and when the character dies you find yourself crying? How about a celebrity? I'm sure there are many out there you are hurting and desperately sad after hearing of Heath Ledger's passing. I know, I know, we're not supposed to think of people we see on television or on the movie screen that way. "You don't have a relationship with them!" Yes, we've heard that one many times before. And yes, we know we don't have a relationship with them, and we know that. Really! We do know that! However, for some strange reason, we feel something. It may not be a relationship, but they are strong feelings nonetheless.

For me, Heath Ledger didn't invoke really strong feelings or a sense of deep loss. However, other people have. When Johnny Carson died, I cried. I felt sad for days and those tears and feelings come back every time I see an infomercial where they are selling his DVD's. Why? Darn if I know. But the feelings are there. Maybe it's the many nights when I should have been sleeping because it was a school night, but I was up watching the Tonight Show and laughing my head off. Even if I couldn't stay up for the entire program, I always made sure I caught the monologue. I would laugh out loud and totally annoy my parents who had gone to bed. You could've taken bets on which parent would barge into the TV room and tell me to turn that things done and be quiet! Then they would close the door to the room and go back to bed. It happened every night. I'm sure my dad was thrilled listening to me cackle when he had to get up at 7:00 to go to work and Mom had to get up at 6:00 AM to get his breakfast ready. Yes, I'm lucky, Mom is one of those old fashioned moms who was the first one up in the morning, got meals for her family, washed Daddy's glasses for him before he left for work, and waited on us all hand and foot. But I digress. Spending every night watching Johnny Carson for years must have carved out a special niche in my heart for him. Now that he's gone, I've noticed I don't laugh as often or as hard.

Characters can do the same thing to us. I always cry during the episode of Charmed when Prue dies and the one where Andy dies. Now don't confuse him with Anderson, don't even think about it. That Andy isn't allowed to...well, you know. Hear that God? Anyway, I've seen those episodes dozens of times, I know what's going to happen from the first scene of the program and the exact moment it's going to happen. But it still makes me sad and the tears always flow. Mom has mentioned to me that I cry more for people on TV that for my own family. I don't know for sure if it's true or not. Maybe it's just easier to cry for TV characters, you don't feel as self-conscious. I didn't grow up crying easily. I wasn't the one who turned on the waterworks to get her way or get attention. So my tears are usually private, 2:30 AM cuddled under my blanket in bed, my face buried in my pillow. Maybe it doesn't matter who we cry for or why. Maybe when we cry for people we don't really know, maybe we are also crying for all the loved ones we've lost and held in the tears. Perhaps what is important is that the emotions are there and crying lets them out. Maybe that's all that matters.

One thing to remember is to always count your blessings. If you happen to have someone to hold you when you cry, then you definitely have some blessings to count and your are indeed a lucky person after all.

Now to leave you on a happy note, here's a screen cap of a very cheerful, happy Anderson. Enjoy!