When Icons Fall Down

There are certain celebrities that just charm us from time to time, and for a variety of reasons. Each one that does simply has a certain quality or thing about them that gets your attention and clicks.

Not that I am ever one to be giddy over any star. To me, they are regular people just like you and I that simply happen to have a spot in the limelight. If I meet one in person, I don't find myself particularly enamored other than feeling a bit interested that I might get an opportunity to get to know them in a different light.

Christina Applegate is one of those for me. She caught my attention when she appeared on the television show, Married, With Children, which first aired back in 1987.

I was 14 at the time, and of course that is a period when you are becoming quite aware of your maleness, and girls begin to take on a whole new meaning. Without question, Christina Applegate, at least in the role she played, was just the kind of girl you'd want to explore a few new realities with, if you know what I mean.

In real life she was not that girl at all. But it didn't matter. You were a fan of Kelly Bundy.

I will admit that there was little she did after her Married time that kept my attentions. So, maybe it was the Kelly Bundy thing mostly. No matter. She charmed me. That's the kicker.

As such, I did follow her once the show was over. I still found her interesting of course, even if I was not a fan of her when she was not dolling around as a promiscuous teenager anymore.

She has had an interesting life, which is simply another reminder that celebrities are just people. Beyond the star and the money and fame, they have to deal with and face things that many people outside the limelight have to face also.

Stars get no special treatment from life. Only from the people around them. And that became a reality for Christina Applegate in 2008 when she was diagnosed with a form of breast cancer, and ultimately underwent a double mastectomy.

I remember thinking, at the time, oh man, that's rough. I felt for her. Only celebrities that charm us get to cull even the slightest emotion from us when things happen.

Like Steve Irwin. When he tragically died, I felt something.

Not that death is never without some emotion or passing thought like oh man, that sucks. But it is different when you have a sort of connection with the celebrity.

I felt the same sort of thing when it was announced a couple of years ago that Applegate was diagnosed with MS. It's a tough blow for her and again I felt something.

Christina Applegate is now 51, and because of the disease, she now requires a cane to help her around. She has also announced that she will likely leave acting, at least appearing on screen, as she simply does not have the energy to keep up with what are often times grueling production schedules.

It is sad to see her have to go through this and watching her change. She's gained some weight because of her mobility issues, and she was actually enjoying newfound success from her most recent hit show, Dead To Me, which she also executive produced.

But just like through her time dealing with her breast cancer episode, she is still a trooper. She's taking the bull by the horns and has said she will not let MS get the best of her.

Granted, it will ultimately. Christopher Reeves never overcame his paralysis and Michael J. Fox continues to decline from Parkinson's. For each of them, all of their careers and ambitions were put on hold—and quite permanently.

Still, their strength and tenacity are noteworthy. Life may be giving up on them, but they are not giving up on it.

Applegate says that despite her disappearing from the screen, she will still try to find plenty of work doing voiceovers—which she will likely find success with. As she put it, she's got an 11-year old daughter to make sure she can keep a roof for and food on the table.

Not that she will be starving any time soon. According to multiple sources she has a current net worth of $20 million.

I give her quite a lot of credit for spiting the odds against her even if I also find it sad that her life has been forever altered in a way that she will not be able to recover. At the same time it serves as yet another reminder to us all that people are people, no matter where they come from or what their background is.

And nothing can shield us from the sometimes harsh reality of life. Not money. Not fame. Not notoriety. Not great accomplishment.

Life is the same for us all with ups and downs, successes and failures, tragedy, and difficult times. Perhaps when we see otherwise "privileged" people facing life as we all must do, it helps us to put our own lives into better perspective, and challenges us to cherish each moment we have just a little bit more.

Lead image courtesy of "screen shot from Married, With Children.