R.I.P. Shirley Temple

I woke up this morning, flipped the TV on to the morning news, and started my day with the sad news that Shirley Temple Black had passed away. (continued after the video).


When I was a little girl, tv was quite different than it is now.  There were no DVRs, DVD players or VCRs.  We had no cable tv, no "on demand" and no internet streaming.  Our television only had three channels...well, 4 if you count PBS.  And stations went "off the air" late at night.

Weekend programing was very different than what was shown during the week.  But midday on Saturday and Sunday at least one of the stations would often be playing an old black and white movie.  And boy, was I happy when they chose a movie staring Shirley Temple!   In my mind, it wasn't an "old movie"... I saw a happy, singing little girl "about my age."  And I loved it.  I have no idea how many Shirley Temple movies I watched.

This was in the 70's when she was actually all grown up, and an ambassador.  My mother explained to me, and showed me pictures of the adult Shirley Temple.  Then, my Mom told me that she, too, had watched Shirley Temple movies as a little girl.

My mother's favorite Shirley Temple movie was Heidi.  She told me she had fallen in love with the snow globe Heidi had (and broke) in the movie.  My mother had asked Santa for one for Christmas...but never got her snow globe like Heidi's.  

At the time my mother told me the story, I had not yet seen Heidi.  Being the 1970's, I thought of snow globes as being plastic domes that were flat on the back...often with a blue background.  It seemed to be the only kind that was ever seen during that time period.  But my mother explained that Heidi's snow globe was real glass and shaped like a sphere.

One day, at the mall I saw a snow globe in a toy store that was like my mother had described.  A real glass snow globe!  I saved my money and gave my mother that snow globe for Christmas.  My mother cried and treasured that snow globe.  In later years, I would see bigger, finer glass snow globes.  But that first one was special.  Even though I no longer have my Mom, I still have that round glass snow globe, and its precious memories.

In recent years, a dear friend tells a story of an encounter with Shirley Temple Black while shopping in Los Angeles, and how very lovely she still was.

Rest in Peace, Shirley Temple.  My childhood wouldn't have been the same without you.

Until Next Time....
D.D.