Perhaps known best as the 1980s quintessential mom from "Family Ties," Meredith Baxter went on national television Dec. 2, 2009, to announce that she is a lesbian. Although not an expected topic for healthy living, Baxter’s outing is, indeed, an exercise in living life as it should be: uninhibited by social norms and stereotypes.
Baxter should be commended on several levels. Her bravery in talking publicly about a much-debated topic, despite her desire to live a private life even as a celebrity, was apparently brought about because of the threat from a tabloid to expose her story without her consent. On the morning television show “Today,” she talked with anchor Matt Lauer about the inevitable political slant that comes along with any announcement of being gay—and the responsibility to stand up for herself and everyone else who has come out of the proverbial closet. She wanted to tell her own story, rather than have it twisted in the media.
At the interview’s conclusion, Lauer asked Baxter how she felt now that the news was officially out. Baxter was visibly nervous and joked about it, but she was happy to not have to hide her sexuality anymore. She said that she has been able to live a relatively normal life in Los Angeles, but the implication is that she could be herself anywhere now.
Why is this integral to healthy living? Because it underscores the point of living life free of secrets—secrets that weigh the soul down. Keeping secrets of any sort—birthday presents and surprise parties are obvious exceptions—wear down a person’s psyche and are difficult to maintain; one seemingly innocuous lie leads to others, which end up being too complicated to maintain. In the meantime, the psyche’s turmoil can lead to physical issues:
- Stress
- Irritability
- Headaches
- High blood pressure
- Mood swings
- Eating disorders
- Inability to concentrate
- Nervous tics
The truth eventually comes out, so why not just get it out there immediately? Doing so will clear the conscience and help alleviate a lot of the physical ailments that often follow secrecy.
One other note about Baxter: On “Today,” it seemed obvious that she has not had any plastic surgery performed on her face, even though she has probably been approached about it due to her acting career—a profession that notoriously encourages a youthful appearance.
Baxter looks fabulous. She looks her age, with some facial wrinkles, but not like a plastic, stretched version of her former self. So many famous people—men and women alike (no names mentioned here, but you can probably think of a few)—who have been in the camera’s eye are now plasticized, and each example is more questionable than the next.
Yet here is an undeniably pretty woman who has chosen to age naturally. It’s refreshing to see. Again, Baxter looks lovely as ever. And that’s a lesson that needs to be taught more often: Living naturally while taking good care of yourself is very, very good.
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