Illness?
What exactly was Cynthia's condition? Was it just a poor immune system or something?
"The day after tomorrow could be the best day ever." - Pete Wentz
I was wondering about this as well...didn't catch the beginning of the film so I don't know if there were any explanations. Just seemed strange :) But I liked the film regardless!
shareShe did show a lot of the signs of what is referred to as a diminished immune system. My younger sister and I both were born that way and almost didn't survive childhood. We had allergies and frequently had colds, bronchitis and even pneumonia. Once, my dad was sure that, if we were bundled up then later had a hot bath, we could play in the snow, build a snowman and do things other children take for granted. Although we were tended to, including good ol' Vicks on our throats and chests, we both became extremely ill and went into double pneumonia.
As adults, my sister has fared rather well, while I ultimately ended up on disability at too young an age.
By the way, my parents saw this movie while on a date, and both decided that, if they married and had a daughter, she would be named Cynthia. Four years later, I was born and named for this movie. In the meantime, they had forgotten exactly what the movie was about. So, you can imagine when, many years later (actually about a year ago), my mom and I watched this movie (probably on TCM) and discovered it's about a chronically ill girl! What an odd coincidence...
Unfortunately, I never looked like Elizabeth Taylor! *sigh*
~~MystMoonstruck~~
I always caught cold easily as a child until my mom started giving me cod liver oil tablets. Liz was over protected also in this movie. She grew out of it the way I did. I still take cod liver oil ! Nice movie !
shareWow! That's very cool that your parents kept the vow from their date, thanks for sharing :) And thank you for the diminished immune system theory, I agree.
Sorry to hear that you suffered through that as a child...must have been quite scary at times. On the positive side, a total stranger on the internet (me) now knows about the condition, and will be sensitive to it if I ever encounter it. Pretty amazing, if you ask me :)
I saw this film again today and enjoyed it all over again.
Sadly, my sister died in December 2010, far too young to be lost to us. But, she had beaten all of the odds doctors had given her; none of them believed she would reach her teens. She actually managed to become healthier than they expected. So, maybe Cynthia would keep improving. Sadly, I didn't improve. I ended up developing a number of syndromes. How strange and how sad that I outlived my younger sister. But, we far surpassed the estimates.
~~MystMoonstruck~~
Cynthia, I just want to say I'm very sorry for your loss.
shareThank you. That's very kind of you. I'm still trying to get my mind to accept it, as it still seems impossible that she is gone. I suppose that's usual with sudden, completely unexpected death.
Again, that is a very caring thing for you to say.
~~MystMoonstruck~~
Dearest Cynthia, I'm so very sorry to hear how your sister and yourself were so sick your whole lives. Your sharing with us shows that you have a healthy heart full of kindnesses and goodness, that's something special that we never see from people anymore. I'm so sorry you lost your beautiful sister, but it must have been nice to be together growing up. I bet you both shared a strong love for each other and comforted each other. Please Cynthia, take care of yourself, also, I have a feeling you have some of Elizabeth Taylor with you. She had a good heart too. Take care,I hope I haven't spoken out of bounds in anyway.
Gail
I'm going to say a prayer for you tonight, bless you Cynthia.
My sister was a beautiful person though I'm not sure she believed that. She was witty, with a very offbeat sense of humor, and she had a probably too-strong sense of duty to work, which probably led to her death. She cared too much. Her husband told us many times, even since her death, "She was my world." He still takes care of her pet guinea pigs and now has a small bulldog to keep him company. We share stories of her every time we get together, and my mom and I often remember amusing stories. To this day, when I see a certain type of girl or woman when we're shopping, I think for just a moment that it's my sister before realizing all over again that she is gone. She used to tease that she looked like a lot of other girls, but she was very distinctive. Still, long, dark hair always will make me think of her.
Yes, with all of our health problems, we were lucky to have had so many decades together. We always played together as children, sometimes hiding from other children because we wanted it to be just her and me~coloring, singing and dancing, playing paper dolls and Barbie dolls, etc. I know I was very lucky even when we had our spats about the usual silly things.
I often think how, when I was in my early 20s and in bed with an illness, my sister said that's what she saw in my future: that I would be an invalid. She did a great deal in spite of her physical weaknesses. I wish that I could have been as strong as she was. And, I wish that she hadn't pushed herself as hard. Maybe if she had sought Disability, she still would be alive. Life leaves us with thoughts like that and far too many questions.
Thank you. I've learned to appreciate good thoughts and hope I can return them.
BTW: I caught the last part of this movie the other day on TCM. I'd love having even a tiny bit of the enormous amount of love Elizabeth Taylor had for her family, friends and the world.
(W)hat are we without our dreams?
Making sure our fantasies
Do not overpower our realities. ~ RC