Murder, She Wrote

 March 9, 2021

Thirty-five years doesn’t seem that long ago. When we were much younger, “Murder, She Wrote” was a staple of network TV, and now it’s on cable and internet TV in endless reruns which we often watch before turning in at night. Back in the 80’s and 90’s when this originally ran, Linda mentioned it as a favorite of hers, to which the friend responded by giving it a new title, “Murder, She Puked.” The shows really are quite simplistic, often melodramatic, with the improbable scenarios of a mystery writer being given access to actual criminal investigations. 

One of the wonders of film is the actors and actresses who are forever captured at a particular age, no matter how many years intervene. Being somewhat of a fan of pre-hip hop dance, I’ve watched Fred Astaire with Ginger Rogers, Maureen O’Hare, RIta Hayworth, and others, Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and even James Cagney and Frank Sinatra tapping and shuffling their way through intricate routines. And no one will ever out dance the Nicholas brothers. 

Whether acting, singing, or dancing, with the exception of the star of “Murder, She Wrote,” who is 94, all of these people are dead, and even Angela Lansbury no longer blithely steps across the sets as she did years ago. The years take their toll, and when I look in the mirror, I don’t see the young man I usually feel inside me, another reminder that subjective feelings are poor judges of reality. 

I am grateful for the memories conjured up by these old shows, but grateful too, to still be here to enjoy them along with the countless blessings I’ve experienced over the intervening years. So many of the people who populated my life when “Murder, She Wrote” was churning out new episodes every week are no longer here, many of them taken in their prime. I am thankful tonight to lay my head on my pillow next to the same woman who lay beside me those many years ago, with the added blessing of children who grew up, married, and gave us grandchildren who could care less about those old TV shows. We’ve been given life, and along with occasional struggles, God has filled that life with goodness and love, for which I thank him tonight, and God willing, expect to thank him in the morning.