­Why Alice is my hero

By: 
KC Bunch
Actress/comedian Ann B. Davis made the character of America’s most loved housekeeper come to life every week in living rooms and TV rooms across the nation for five seasons of “The Brady Bunch,” from 1969-74.  I was a little tyke those days, but I remember thinking, “Some day, I want to be like Alice.” That’s kind of an odd desire since most people wanted to be like any of the Brady Bunch kids or even the picture-perfect parents. However, Alice was the glue that made the household actually hold together. 
Alice kept her cool in crisis, always had just the right advice when someone was down or hurting or in need of wisdom. Alice always kept the regular things going and moving ahead, or so the TV world made us think. She still kept the house clean, the dinner ready, the cookies baked…all while having time to have a life outside of the household and always keeping the wit and wisdom handy.
Yes, I wanted to be like Alice. She wasn’t the most titillating in appearance, as she wasn’t a person who looked like she walked off the pages of a magazine. She also wasn’t young; she was seasoned with life experiences and sage-like advice. Everyone was welcomed into the kitchen for her philosophical nuggets of guidance or her endless repartee. I thought she was quite fascinating. 
Alice’s TV character seemed to come across as a very genuine person with joys and sorrows, highs and lows, moments of pride as well as some instances of “hurt” feelings. Of all the people on the show, to me, she seemed the most believable character, the most “real” person, and I thought the character was quite admirable. 
As I matured and became a wife, a mom, a grandma, a big sister, a friend and a mentor, I have stopped many times along the way to reflect on those characteristics I found so attractive to me way back when and realized that those characteristics I admired in Alice were the characteristics that my parents wanted me to carry to the future, to all life’s relationships. 
My parents wanted me to evidence kindness, gentleness and patience with those I encountered on life’s journey. They wanted me to experience love, joy and peace in my relationships. They taught me to try my best to be good, faithful and gentle in dealing with my fellow man. And finally, my parents wanted me to exhibit self-control and moderation in all things. What more could parents want for their child? I can’t think of anything. 
My life didn’t turn out to mirror Alice’s in many of the day-to-day aspects, but I still strive to be that person who can speak calmly, even in the midst of chaos. I have always tried to have a home that, while it may be simple, is welcoming and comfortable for those who need a quiet moment with a friend, fun with a grandma or laugh with a light heart. 
In our day and age, I don’t see many television or entertainment programs with the kind of model I would want to see my grandchildren emulate. Maybe there are those I have yet to discover, but it gives me pause to think I have to stretch my mind that far back in time to find a TV character I can say is worth mimicking in daily life. 
What I have realized even more as I have matured is that it wasn’t Alice or the actress Ann B. Davis who I really longed to emulate. All of those characteristics are still being evidenced in the lives of all of the ladies (and gentlemen) who have invested in me and in my family over the many decades of life. I have watched amazing women live through seemingly insurmountable illness or odds and be heroes in their own right. 
I have had gentlemen who were wise beyond their years in counsel, kind and patient beyond belief. 
Each one of these hasn’t just represented “Alice” to me; they have embodied the Spirit of God, for His fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 
Who was your “Alice” in life? Who did you want to be like and what character traits of theirs do you strive to achieve even today? I think the world right now could use a few “Alices” as examples to emulate. From KC’s Korner, it seems to me we need a little love, joy and peace toward ourselves and especially toward each other, and we need more “Alices” in the world. 

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