Betty White

Jennifer Vanderau
Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter

(2/2022) When we lost Betty White about 17 days before her 100th birthday, it upset me. A lot. Especially when the news first broke.

I think I said out loud, "Seriously 2021? You had to have one final crappy thing, didn’t you?"

I looked at all the tributes to her and my heart hurt that we wouldn’t see her smile anymore. I cried when I realized we wouldn’t have any more funny videos between her and Ryan Reynolds anymore. She was gone.

But eventually, something interesting happened – as it usually does. Once the grief and loss got a little more manageable, I began to see what an absolutely amazing life she had and how very much she loved and missed her husband, Allen Ludden. My feelings shifted to being more upset for us that we lost her than I was that she had left the earth.

She had an incredible life – one that she said over and over again how grateful she was to have had. Gratitude is an incredibly important sentiment and Betty White new that. I have a suspicion it may be what kept her around for 99 years.

She came into television during the Golden Age of TV and got to star with Mary Tyler Moore and then with the Golden Girls (just to name two of the most notable). Not to mention in later years, Ryan Reynolds.

One of the cutest memes I saw about her passing said she lived to be 99 and a day before she died was flirting with Ryan Reynolds. Not too bad.

I couldn’t agree more.

She also stood up against racism. In the 1950s after facing criticism for having Arthur Duncan, an African American tap dancer on "The Betty White Show," she refused to cave and told people to "live with it." Arthur Duncan credited Betty with really giving him his start in show business.

Then I found photo of her, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty and the sentiment was something like, "I can just picture the four of them in heaven sitting down for some cheesecake."

I may have made a noise out loud to the computer when I read that one.

She had a heck of a sense of humor, too – she could get a little ribald from time to time. My sister and I had a conversation about her the other weekend and she said Betty also was able to absolutely maintain composure. It was almost unreal.

Sis said there was a story of Betty as Rose Nylund on the Golden Girls where she actually ad-libbed a story about St. Olaf and Rue and Bea were actually laughing in the scene – they couldn’t hold it together. But Betty did. She didn’t break character once.

In addition to her talent, her kindness knew no bounds. I read story after story about people who would see her on the street and she would be so incredibly nice to them. She didn’t have any airs about her, other than altruism.

And then there were her animals. In addition to her humor and decent spirit, she absolutely adored animals. It’s probably safe to say she did more for animals during her 99 years on the planet than we will likely ever know.

I think the secret of Betty White is she recognized and understood unconditional love. With Valentine’s Day coming up, it’s fitting to remember that. I mean, she also knew how to tell an amazing joke and she never took herself too seriously, but I truly think she got what life was really about.

That’s why she was so drawn to animals and why she was so grateful for finding her husband. I sometimes think if you can get beyond the daily grind and pain that life can bring to the real joy to be had, there’s a freedom in that – and maybe it can help you get to 99 like Betty did.

We have already had people donate to the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter in her name. Every time I see a donation come in that says in memory of Betty White, my heart warms. In fact with the Betty White challenge being issued across the country, we have gotten more than $4,000 in her name to help our animals.

Can you imagine the kind of generosity and overwhelming spirit someone must have given to the earth and the people on it to be able to generate memorial donations apropos of nothing? And from people who likely didn’t even know her personally?

You know, we never asked for donations in her name. We only recently posted something on Facebook about the Betty White challenge, but even then, we suggested giving to whatever animal rescue organization you chose.

And yet because of her, we have more than $4,000 for our babies. It’s difficult to put into words how humbling something like that truly is.

Google Betty White. Just her name. And look at the photos that come up. Look at the smile she has. She had that for just about everyone she met and she especially had that for animals.

She may not physically be with us anymore, but her light, what she stood for, who she was, the love she had, will live on for a long, long time.

If you have donated in her name to any animal welfare organization, thank you. It’s this kind of goodness that really helps during the tough times.

To Betty White: I only knew you from television, but you touched a lot of hearts. Thank you for all you did for people and for the animals. I imagine the Rainbow Bridge was packed when you crossed over. I hope you and Allen and your friends and loved ones are laughing together and giving a special four-legged friend a kiss tonight.

*****

Jennifer Vanderau is the Publications and Promotions Consultant for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at cvascomm@cvas-pets.org. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 717-263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg, Pa. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.