CATHY LEE GIFFORD'S “IT'S NEVER TOO LATE”
CATHY LEE GIFFORD'S “IT'S NEVER TOO LATE”
Cathy Lee Gifford's latest book,
“It's Never Too Late” has been an amazing discovery for me this
Christmas season. I bought it as a gift for wife, Audrey and daughter
Lisa to share but ended up reading it myself. I found it a book really
hard to put down and one I know I'll re-read and refer to often.
Cathy is one of those people who,
whenever she's on camera, just draws my attention completely, She has an
ebullience, and genuine enthusiasm that is simply impossible to ignore.
On that morning show with Regis Philben, she proved to be the perfect
foil to Philbin's testy personality. In fact their chemistry was so
perfect that it was hard not to watch in amazement at the magical gift
Cathy had of creating charming moments out of touchy situations. I've
always found a little Regis went a long ways, but I could always
appreciate a little more of Cathy. Somehow, together, they made great
TV.
Her book reveals the astonishing
number of hurtles Cathy had to overcome at nearly every stage of her
career. The early chapters deal with some of her bad choices and their
consequences. The numerous rejections she had to endure as well as a
wrong-from-the-start first marriage. Then it covers some of the great
break-troughs in doing commercials and other ventures. But the pervasive
theme that led to her great success is her “Never give up on your dream”
attitude. She puts a great little poem or song lyric at the start of
each chapter, and one, “I'M gonna make a Clean Start” says it all; and
would serve many of us surviving this cold North Dakota winter:
Also her book tells of her
marriage to Frank Gifford, The great NY Giant half-back and famed Monday
Night Football cohort of Howard Cosell and Dandy Don Meredith. Frank was
20 years older than Cathy and had two children from a previous marriage,
but theirs was a marriage made in Heaven, and Cathy was with him right
to the end when his many football concussions began to diminish his
mental stability.
More recently many of you may
have seen Cathy on the top rated “Today Show” with Hoda Katb and that
show was doing very well too, but Cathy felt a powerful need to respond
to a Higher calling so she left that show. Amazingly I, quite by chance,
discovered what that calling was. I often get up in the middle of the
night if I can't sleep and tune in TBN for some message of hope for
these dark and dangerous times. A couple of nights ago, who do I find
promoting her latest book? Cathy Lee!
As always Cathy was riveting and
very persuasive in her presentation. And her book, “The Rock, the Road
and The Rabbi” was being offered as a gift to those who contribute to
TBN. The book is about exciting discoveries Cathy has found in Israel
that make really exciting many areas of the Bible she once found
troubling. Bottom line? Cathy's given up show biz to serve the Lord.
In closing, I just want to cite
one more poem from “It's Never Too Late.”
I Want To Matter: /To have meant
something special to somebody else/ To have made a small difference
simply being myself/ To believe this three- ringed circus/ Has fulfilled
some earthly purpose/ I want to matter/ Before I'm gone,/ To have been
the shoulder that someone leaned on// To have been the safe harbor in
someone's storm/ To know someone was blessed because I was born/ …
Though I'm fragile and foolish and flawed, I'm sincere/ I want someone
to fondly remember me here/ More than being praised, more than being
flattered,/ I need to know without a doubt that somehow I've mattered/
And if I'm really honest/ I would like to write one song/ That someone
will be singing after I'm gone.
Believe me friends, Cathy Lee's
book is a treasure. Don't let it pass you by .
“I'm
gonna make a clean start/ Wash the cold winter away/ Put a scrubby dubby
spring in my heart/ And cart the old garbage away… Allez! / So what if I
get soap suds in my ears/ So what if I get soap-suds in my eyes/ This is
the most fun I've had in years/ Out of the ashes the Phoenix will rise”
Gene Pinkney, For the Daily
News 1/ 10/20
