Heartbroken doesnโt even begin to cover it.
Catherine OโHara was one of a kind. A rare light in this world and her passing hits with a weight I canโt fully put into words.
She wasnโt just a legendary artist,
actor and comedian. She was an ambassador for Canada in the truest sense: brilliant, fearless, deeply original, and so full of humanity. She made the world laugh, but she also made people feel seen.
As an artist, she inspired me more than sheโll ever know. She set the bar for what it means to represent your country with excellence and grace and all without ever losing warmth or humility.
My heart is broken for her family, her loved ones, and everyone who adored her, both here in Canada and around the world.
If youโre grieving this loss, youโre not alone. Weโre all holding a piece of this sadness together.
Rest easy, Catherine. Thank you for everything. ๐จ๐ฆโค๏ธ
On a peaceful Sunday afternoon in June 1961, just months after leaving the presidency, Dwight D. Eisenhower was tending his vegetable garden at his Gettysburg farm when he noticed a young couple had gotten their car stuck in the mud on the rural road bordering his property. Without hesitation, the 70-year-old former Supreme Commander grabbed a rope from his barn, trudged through the muck in his overalls, and spent forty-five minutes helping push their beat-up Chevy back onto solid ground.
What makes this moment so beautifully human is that the coupleโnewlyweds Tom and Susan from Ohio on their honeymoonโhad no idea they were being rescued by the man whoโd led the Allied forces to victory and served two terms as President. Eisenhower never mentioned it, introducing himself simply as โIke, the farmer next doorโ and chatting about their travels while hauling on the rope with mud splattered across his work clothes.
When they finally freed the car, Mamie appeared with a thermos of lemonade and homemade cookies, inviting the bewildered couple onto the porch. For an hour, they swapped marriage advice, fishing tips, and stories of road trips, with Ike sharing memories of journeys heโd taken with Mamie decades earlier. Only twenty miles down the road, when they showed a gas station attendant their photo with โthe nice farmer who helped us,โ someone gasped: โThatโs President Eisenhower!โ
Tom later wrote Ike a thank-you note, and the former president responded: โThe pleasure was all oursโMamie and I love meeting young people starting their adventures together. Remember: a good marriage is like farming, it takes patience, hard work, and knowing some days youโre just going to get muddy. Stay happy. Your friend, Ike.โ
What absolutely destroys you is knowing that Eisenhower could have enjoyed celebrity retirement, but instead chose to be simply Ikeโa neighbor who helped strangers, a farmer who got his hands dirty, and a man who measured his worth not by past glory but by present kindness, proving true greatness is what you do when nobodyโs watching.
ยฉ History Pictures
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He called you. He equipped you. He anointed you, favored you, empowered you. Break out of those chains of how people are trying to define you. The only power they have over you is the power that you give them.