08/19/2026
I've thought about this post since I found out about Hayden Panettiere's passing.
See, when I hear her name, the first thing I think of is the little girl on her way to out coaching her father and watching his every move as he helps to lead a football team in the right directions (in society as much as the winning circle). Then I think "Save the cheerleader, save the world". We failed. We didn't save her.
Which is sad because the world really needs saving!
I didn't know much, if anything about her story outside of the stories she helped bring to life on the screen. I heard about it from my mom. But sitting there, talking about how difficult her life had been with my mom, I couldn't help but realize that, as stated in Hamilton, "we get no say in who lives, who dies or who tells our story." Or do we?
It's not often that we can control the narrative, especially when the world is watching every breath you take, every move you make, every syllable uttered. But sometimes, we find the strength to share our story as we lived it. And Hayden Panettiere was one of those that went out on a limb and shared her story.
So, just a reminder as rumors rotate, lies spread, secrets shared and pictures are seen, we will never have all of the answers, but sometimes, we can hear the story through the words of those who lived it. We don't have to rely on echoes and assumptions.
I'll leave the link below in case you, like me, want to read her story in her own words.