Being a boomer, there’s little doubt you can recite the words to the Brady Bunch theme song. The ever-smiling, ever-patient Carol Brady was dubbed a “lovely lady” and that she certainly was. But as lovely as the fictional Carol appeared, she couldn’t hold a candle to her real life counterpart, Florence Henderson.
Florence makes no claims to being the perfect housewife à la Carol and her TV mom contemporaries. Nor as the youngest of ten children, did she, herself, enjoy a very Brady childhood. In fact, Florence often fended for herself and thereby learned tenacity, courage, focus and hard work. She was blessed with immense talent, a yearning to entertain and movies star looks… but precious little else. You can read all about her personal tale of overcoming the odds in her fascinating and immensely readable autobiography, Life is Not a Stage: From Broadway Baby to a Lovely Lady and Beyond.
I’ve been lucky enough to interview Florence several times on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. And this last interview, I wanted to focus on the ways she maintains her positive outlook, vibrant health and obvious zest for life. I asked Florence how she keeps her youthful figure and infectious energy and she shared her tips for eating right and staying fit. I also asked Florence for her thoughts on building and maintaining personal relationships as we age.
Perhaps her most revealing answer, however, dealt with her commitment to giving back. Not only is Florence on the go as an entertainer, this truly “lovely lady” is a dedicated contributor to causes for which she cares. Moreover, she doesn’t stop with her checkbook; Florence contributes her time and talents to ways that benefit those in need.
One of the feistiest ways Florence retains her youthful spirit is through her humor. She told me about the YouTube video below and I invite you to take a look. Carol Brady has certainly grown in unexpected ways!
And, if you want to give yourself a real boost, take a 15-minute break and listen to my interview with Florence. This amazing lady is both feisty and fabulous. And—as her many fans will attest—that’s a very Brady way to revolutionize the spirit and style of aging!