To the one and only Lauren Bacall . . . A few years have passed since we first saw you on the screen . . . but why is it that we can still recite the dialogue from your first film? Why? I don’t think we had ever seen anyone like you before — a young woman before her time. You showed the rest of us that you could hold your own, be confident, beautiful, and had that “come on” that we couldn’t match. But oh! how we wished we could. Throughout the years, Ms. Bacall, to us you were “a stand-out”. On the screen, of course - that goes without saying. But with all your highs, we saw your times of sadness, sadness that dropped to levels we had not dreamed of. Most of us had not yet experienced those times yet. But we learned from you - - for no matter the tears that might have been shed alone, you were strong for your public, handling the highs and lows in your life with such class. We wanted to emulate you. Some of us tried … but few suceeded in the ways you seemed to bounce back from well-justified disappointments in not getting awards you deserved, to looking regal when the honors did come. If we all could, we would toast you today - each expressing our own thoughts about this woman who would never be one of the crowd. Oh no, she was and always will be the stand-out as a star of stars, as a gal who knew love when she saw it and gave it a whirl, and as the woman who knew her own mind from the early days — and taught the rest of us women some of the greatest lessons: you only go around once so be all you can be! And you know, you are right - as usual. Today we are not counting candles, we are counting the many ways that Lauren Bacall has enhanced our own lives. And, for one and all, we thank you.

Dear Ms. Bacall: You’ll never know how special you have been to me all of my life. Yesterday, I had to put down my beloved Scottie, Champion Thistlepark Just Whistle,” “Lauren.” Silly me, when I heard your voice come across the t.v. I always looked to make sure she was in the room so she could hear it. Like you, she was very much of a dignified lady but knew how to hold her ground when necessary. Thank you for influencing me so very much that I would select your name and personality to bestow upon her. I’ve included her memorial blogspot for your viewing. laurenjustwhilstle.blogspot.com Please accept my belated wishes for many, many, many more happy birthdays , and thank you for continuing to influence women all over the world to carry on even when we might not feel like it. Ina 10/05/08