Losing Oprah

Today was an insane day at the office! And I was secretly glad because it meant that I would be too busy knee deep in documents, meetings and fires to hear about the last Oprah show. I wanted to come home, play with the frog princess, say my prayers with her, put her to bed and then curl up with the remote control and some tissues. As is her norm, Oprah did not disappoint. Recently, I was around someone who had negative things to say in passing about Oprah. Something like: I don't know why people look up to her, she's this, she's that, yada, yada, yada. I held my tongue because there are certain environments in which you should speak your mind and certain environments in which you should not. While I didn't think that conversation was particularly appropriate, I moved on because how could you explain this to someone that does not already know?

Let me say this: Oprah is a woman just like me. She is no better and no worse than I am. I do not put her on a pedestal because I never wish for her to fall. I don't think she is God though I am convinced that she knows Him. It's one of the reasons that I am drawn to her. I love her spirit. As with plenty of people that I admire, I am grateful for her words. For her courage. For the people that have been able to look to her and gain strength of their own. I am grateful for the tears she can so easily cajole out of me. For the laughter that she has been so gracious to provide.

Her show today was simple nuggets of wisdom. In her stunning pink dress, Oprah graced the stage one last time to read us her love letter. And I was grateful. I took down some quotes that touched me because that's just what you do when you are in front of a grateful, graceful spirit. You soak in the knowledge because the soul of the world has a way of speaking to you at all times.

She did not disappoint with her words today. Or with her tears. There's a part of me that thinks it's unfair that I get to lose my mami and Oprah in the same year. But as was the case when I held mami's hand as she went home, today, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for having been open enough to the words, thoughts and lessons that this woman has shared with us. And so I am not as sad as I thought I would be. Mami left me a great legacy of faith and love. So does Oprah. And though Oprah is very much physically in this world, like mami, I know that she will continue to impart words that will touch our hearts and remind us that someone hears us because this is her calling and we have been blessed to have been reminded that we should go forth and do what we are called to do (you'll know what that is if you are still and listen). To not wait because we each have a job in life and it isn't necessarily what we are getting paid to do day in and day out.

"Nobody but YOU is responsible for your life."

"There is a difference, you know, between thinking you deserve to be happy and believing that you are worthy of happiness."

"We often block our own blessings because we don't feel inherently good enough or smart enough or pretty enough or worthy enough...you are worthy because you are born and you are here...you alone are enough."

"What are the whispers in your life right now? Your life is speaking to you. What is it saying?"