“Little House on the Prairie” is a television series starring Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle, and Melissa Sue Anderson.

The show is based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s best-selling Little House series.

The story is about a family living on a farm in Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s.

The books covered a wide range of topics, including adoption, faith, and social issues. The show was mostly a drama, but it did have some comedic and lighthearted moments.

Melissa Gilbert, a former child star, recalls her time on the show fondly.

From 1974 to 1982, she portrayed Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Melissa now owns a farm in Sullivan County, New York. She is captivated by farm life. Blisters on her hands from shoveling and dirt from all the farm duties have become the norm for her.

As she puts it, it’s her own “Little House on the Catskills.”

Melissa is also a farmer!

“It was like a really great summer camp but I also got to play the ultimate game of dress up and be in those fantastic clothes and button up boots and I don’t remember it ever not being fun,” Melissa told CBS News.

And it shows on her face whether she’s on or off the screen.

The popular show is still being aired in reruns.

Its popularity is also increasing. Melissa believes this is due to everything that is going on in the world right now. Little House serves as a nostalgic reminder of a simpler time.

The country had to deal with an oil crisis, a recession, and the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. It’s uncannily similar to what’s going on today.

And according to the former star, if it has happened before and people have succeeded, it can be done again.

Compassion, community, faith, and love are the keys. She also says them with a smile! It’s all that matters!

If you go back and watch some of the episodes, you’ll notice that they seem to foreshadow the year 2020.

Is it a plague? What about one that is quarantined? You’ll be surprised!

There’s even one on race. A former slave’s child passes through Walnut Grove and is taken in by the Ingalls family. The acting and dialogue are also excellent.

There are numerous moments in the show that require the viewer to pause and just reflect.

Melissa was only nine years old when she was cast in the show.

Michael Landon, a well-known actor at the time, played her co-star and lead.

He played Charles Ingalls, Melissa’s on-screen father, but he was also the show’s “Pa,” according to reports. The man was gifted. He was executive producing the show, as well as writing and directing episodes.

Melissa’s biggest challenge was that, at her age, she had a lot of lines to memorize. She also did a lot of running to accompany her words. She claims she has no recollection of walking.

Her life away from the camera was more complicated. Melissa shared that she does not have a family tree. Instead, she has a shrub.

Barbara Crane and Paul Gilbert adopted her the day after she was born.

Her father died of a stroke when she was eleven years old.

However, Melissa didn’t find out about her father’s suicide until she was 45 years old. It was a closely guarded secret, but Melissa appears to understand the reasons behind it.

Melissa is now 56 years old. She is a mother and a grandmother. Also, she is married to actor Timothy Busfield.

Melissa admits that her life in Walnut Grove has shaped her into the person she is today.

She said that she learned a lot from the show. The themes and storylines crept into her life without her being aware of it at first.

Michael Landon’s values were reflected in the show.

He was the type of man who always believed in people’s goodness and that everyone is redeemable. Michael Landon died in 1991 at the age of 54.

Melissa claims Landon would have been “proud and thrilled” to have sat for the interview instead of her.

Melissa and Little House serve as reminders of what the rest of the world is longing for right now.

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Sources: YouTube – CBS Sunday Morning, Wikipedia – Little House on the Prairie