A Battle Lost, A Star Supernova

It has been reported by other journalists that on July 13th, 2024, actress Shannen Doherty passed away after losing the battle against breast cancer. I find this to be more important to discuss as a journalist instead of focusing on the Trump assassination attempt and I'll explain why after I give this lovely actress a proper eulogy and remembrance.

Shannen Doherty was born on April 12, 1971 (ten days before I was born) in Memphis, Tennessee. She was 5 foot 2 inches tall (an inch shorter than me) and her net worth was about 5 million dollars. She had brown hair (like me) and greyish blue eyes and a beautiful smile. She was married three times, but her dream of becoming a mother was never fulfilled. She rose to fame in her roles at Heather Duke in the film "Heathers" and as Brenda on the popular tv show 90210. More recently she became known for her role on the tv show "Charmed" (1998-2006) where she played the sister witch named Prue. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and after a long battle which included a masectomy and chemotherapy, she passed away at home surrounded by her loved ones.

She was not the brightest star in the sky. She was not an actress from the black and white films of classics like Elizabeth Taylor or Ingrid Bergman, stars that seem to shine on forever. Yet, Shannen Doherty was a star in her own right and her career and life story have much to teach us regarding Hollywood, America, faith, and life expectancy. I can not help but feel a certain affinity to this story considering how much she and I have had in common with the exception of her being worth millions and me being a nonstar worth thousands of debt. Besides our shine and net worth, we had much more in common than most people would realize. I feel like a parallel me has just died. I feel like the star that I was was just removed from the sky and I might be the only one who remembers her for as long as life continues to breath into me.

While most people are going to be buzzing about the assassination attempt on Trump and making it about gun control and government protection or lack thereof, I am more concentrated on the life and death matters of any person and how all of it is very random and uncontrollable. We think we are going to live forever. We think we are safe. Trump didn't see that bullet coming. Doherty didn't know the 13th was going to be her last day. While the world will discuss guns and killers and violence, I do not want Shannen's death to be swept under the rug as if her life didn't matter. It mattered to me, not just because I was a fan of her work, but because I saw myself in her.

She is gone. Her friends and family must carry on without her. Her millions could not go with her. Her mansion is left to whoever. Her career had it's high and lows, and her life probably the same. Some dreams came true for her, but motherhood alluded her. That's the way life is. We win some, we lose some. Thank you Shannen Doherty for being the kind of star in the world of entertainment that sings, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...." and she did.