In Memoriam

Maybe I'm just more sensitive to these things right now, but it really saddened me to hear about Natasha Richardson's tragic death. Some of you who I know are big Top Chef fans may remember she was just on an episode as a guest judge where the chefs catered a benefit for Amfar. I also really liked her re-make of The Parent Trap with Dennis Quaid and Lindsay Lohan (back when she was young and cute).

I never got to see her in the theater, but I did once see her AT the theater. It was a very memorable evening for me as I am always on the lookout for celebrity sightings and I rarely see anyone in the audience that I recognize, but on this one occasion a few years ago, we went to see a Broadway production of Hedda Gabler, and lo and behold just before curtain, in walk Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson and take their seats not too far in front of us. I remember seeing them in the crowd outside the theater just after the show. She was much prettier in person than she is onscreen and some random person asked her something and she smiled at them and gave a quick answer and they left.

I feel for her husband and her two sons and the rest of her family. Noone should have to go through losing a parent at that age or losing a daughter or a spouse at any age. How depressing and frustrating it must be to not know why these things happen to someone like that, but how beautiful to know there is a real hope of seeing our loved ones again.