STAR
September 23, 1986
The Decision That Changed My Life

Catherine Hickland (Julie/Jenny, Capitol) and her father had become estranged, and had not spoken for several years when he had a massive heart attack. “He was in critical condition. All I could feel was my love for my father, and I wanted to get that love to him as fast as possible,” she recalls.

“I called and called the hospital, and after a few days, they hooked up a phone for him. I told him I loved him and he told me the same thing. I told him I would take time off from the show to come down to see him. But he said he was feeling better, and because he was still in intensive care, I wouldn’t be able to see him more than five minutes, anyway.

“It suddenly seemed to me that everything besides my father’s survival was unimportant, and I felt almost annoyed that I had to work the next few days. The whole experience really changed my life. It made me realize that there’s just no time for the foolishness that often creeps into relationships.

“You must let people know how you feel about them, because you don’t know if you, or they, are going to be here tomorrow. If you have any problem with anyone in your life that you care about, set it straight.

“My father’s home now and doing well; we talk regularly. I feel I’ve gotten a second chance at a good relationship with him. And I also decided to make an effort to reach out to friends I haven’t had time to keep in touch with, and to my husband David (Hasselhoff).”