Review of Goldie Hawn’s

A Lotus Grows in the Mud

by Julie Longacre

Be Careful What You Wish For
“I don’t have the answers to the big questions in life. I’m still on my own road to discovery,” wrote Goldie Hawn (her real name, by the way). As a child she was asked what she wanted to be. Her reply is the same today as it was then: happy! She began her journey climbing backyard fences as a spindly kid and progressed to climbing the stairs to stardom as an intelligent, successful actress. Then add “business woman” and “mother” to the list to make a balanced equation. No matter what her role, her mantra remained the same: happiness.

Along the way, a crisis in Hawn’s life propelled her on a personal journey that opened the door to a life-changing quest through introspection. Under the guidance of her trusted analyst, Dr. Grearson, she began her first session with a request. “Tell me everything,” he said. And so, she did. In her bare-all journal, she states, “Digging around in the mud of my psyche was the most important thing I could ever have done.” Through these sessions, Hawn gained understanding and self-confidence, and acquired the necessary rudiments to realize her potential. Her talent, financial independence, and love of children led her on a mission that resulted in the creation of the Hawn Foundation.

The first chapter of Hawn’s memoir is aptly titled “Be Careful What You Wish For.” She writes with irony about where her dreams of acting landed her: “I waddle through the back lot of Paramount Studios, six months pregnant with my second child, Miss Kate.” Soon after the birth, Goldie began working on the set of Private Benjamin. She was then, and still is, vibrant, alive, and kicking—professionally and domestically: She’s as comfortable stirring up a batch of pancakes for the neighborhood kids as she is drawing us into her heart on the stage.

Hawn’s career may look exciting from our cushy seats in front of the television, but make no mistake. Her life hasn’t been the glamorous adventure of a wish come true. In fact, she’s candid about the pitfalls and windfalls. Her audition with the famed Al Capp is a vivid account of the dangers lurking on city streets for young performers seeking stardom. Finding an agent led her to new heights in discovering the deceptive nature of humans. (Notice, I didn’t say men.) She discreetly describes some of the uncomfortable situations that caught her unaware. In essence, she gives an unvarnished view of the down side of stardom—the sacrifices, the raw nature of society, and the disciplines she placed on herself, which were necessary for survival. With no money, no job, and a passion for the stage, she was especially vulnerable.

Making a Difference
But there’s more, much more, to Goldie Hawn, especially from a philanthropic standpoint.

In the latest phase of her life, it comes as no surprise that Hawn turned her attention toward children, as children and family relationships have been pivotal throughout her active career. She gives honest and plainspoken accounts of her childhood, describing her close ties to her mother and the profound influence of her father; both of whom became role models for her in raising her own children.

To read this autobiography is to understand Goldie—to get to know the woman and realize her awesome potential to make a difference in the world. As I read her accounts, I felt as though I were sitting next to her. On the screen she made me laugh and entertained me, but the extent of her intellect, insight, and philanthropic nature, as I discovered in reading her story, was her real dream come true.

It is said that “we are the sum total of our experience,” and so Goldie’s book is about her life. The end is just a beginning for her. Once she raised her children, her empty nest didn’t remain empty for very long.

When her own children left home, Hawn pursued a new career: caring for other children. Spurred into action after the events of 9/11, when stress, depression, and violence against children climbed to new heights, in 2005 she formed The Hawn Foundation. Through it, she developed a curriculum for schoolchildren called MindUP, which equips them with the social and emotional skills needed to meet the challenges of the world, today and tomorrow.

Goldie envisions children being all they can be, leading healthier, happier lives if only given the skills they need to grow and develop properly—a fair shake in an unfair world if you are a child. In numerous interviews, on Oprah’s show for one, Goldie explains her mission: “to develop an understanding about the human brain, to create innovative programs in schools to foster happier and more resilient children, not only to promote better learning and well-being in the classroom, but to give them the life tools that will go with them forever.”

Simple Wisdom: Happiness
Throughout her memoir, Goldie inspires readers to attest to her thoughtful words of simple wisdom, reflection, and joy: “The smile you give is the smile you get back.” Happiness will always remain her banner.

I was delighted to learn that Goldie keeps a journal, and many pages of personal reflections from it are included in the book. That touch only enhanced my reading experience. As an artist and author, my personal reflections, like Goldie’s, are out there for public view and criticism. I appreciated her magnanimous trust in me, the reader, to open her heart. I give Goldie Hawn three shining stars: for integrity, wisdom, and accomplishment. The more I discover about this amazing woman, the higher her star rises.

For an empty nester, Goldie Hawn is the perfect role model of a hard-working, brilliant woman who has her priorities in order. She’s using her fame and fortune in the pursuit of happiness for the children of the world, who desperately need joy in their lives and an angel in their corner.

After you’ve read A Lotus Grows in the Mud, look to Hawn’s website and discover her current work. She is an incredible woman who has feathered her empty nest with aspiring hopes for the future of all children.

Julie Longacre—artist, poet, and author—is mother of two boys and grandmother of five. She frequently finds herself joyfully squeezed between a busy career as a landscape painter and lending a hand with her grandsons. Still, she found time to publish two books: the notorious Dirty Old Ladies Cookbook and a volume of poetry and art in an autobiographic style, The Place I Keep. Julie last appeared in Empty Nest as an interview subject in the feature “Real People Empty Nesting” (winter 2011). Learn more about Julie on her website. You can also reach her by email.