April 27, 2013
Dear Ms. Harper,
Like so very many others, especially those of us who fell in love with Rhoda Morgenstern when she first graced the living rooms of America during the 1970s, I was deeply saddened by the news of your health challenge.
Having been a student of A Course in Miracles for over two decades, one might justifiably accuse me of being overly optimistic. But having seen several of your recent television appearances (in which you discussed your diagnosis), I can’t help but think that this very rare form of cancer picked on the wrong person. Surely it is no match for the enormity of your courage, the caliber of your character, or the resilience of your spirit.
And if there is a God – or at the very least, a benevolent intelligence that moves in and through every one of us, I can’t fathom for a moment that He/She/It would call you to another realm anytime soon, knowing how devastated this world would be without you in it. On the surface, that’s a rather audacious statement. In your humility, I recently heard you say, “I’m just a television actress.” Maybe it was the word “just” that made me flinch a tiny bit, as so many of America’s greatest women – past and present – have been or are television actors. But you are so much more than even that. Think for a moment, Ms. Harper, of the countless persons to whom you have brought joy of immeasurable value over the course of the last four decades.
So yes indeed, you are Valerie Harper, Television Actress. But you are also Valerie Harper, Healer. May you continue to heal the hearts, minds and souls of many for many, many years to come.
With gratitude and respect,
Ed Franco