Today would have been Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday. Because she died at such a tragically young age, she will always be stunningly beautiful, quirky, sometimes joyous and sometimes sad — in our minds, at least.

But she was not, as so often depicted, a “dumb blonde.” In fact, she was witty and introspective, as exemplified by her commentary on the meaning of life:

“This life is what you make it. No matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes, it’s a universal truth. But the good part is you get to decide how you’re going to mess it up. Girls will be your friends — they ‘ll act like it anyway. But just remember, some come, some go. The ones that stay with you through everything — they’re your true best friends. Don’t let go of them. Also remember, sisters make the best friends in the world. As for lovers, well, they’ll come and go too. And baby, I hate to say it, most of them — actually pretty much all of them are going to break your heart, but you can’t give up because if you give up, you’ll never find your soulmate. You’ll never find that half who makes you whole and that goes for everything. Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie? So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life’s a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.”

Marilyn survived a terrible childhood, three failed marriages, stunning success and fame as an actress . . . only to give in to her demons at 36 years of age. But she left a beautiful legacy of having brought joy to millions of fans, including two generations (so far) that hadn’t even been born when she died.

Continue to rest in peace, “sweetie.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/1/26