I was so pleased that Oprah's finale was a sober, intimate occasion. It was the show coming full circle with her imparting some wisdom and wrapping up the last 25 years in a neat little bow. The way she recanted some memorable moments with scenes interspersed was perfect. In her own words, it was "a love letter" to us, her audience. In true Oprah form, she shared wisdom on being one's best self. She told us that "[we] will receive in direct proportion however you give." Oprah also reminded us that "everybody has a calling...[and] not everybody gets paid for it, but everyone has a calling."
I am one of those people who can I say I really did "grow up" with Oprah. Her show first aired when I was a mere 8 years old. I didn't become an Oprah viewer, however, until my thirteenth year as I spent the summer caring for my mother after a major health crisis. I always thought it was fitting that Oprah was a central part of my transition into young womanhood. My mother and I bonded over the many food baskets filled with cheeses and summer sausage and who, or what, was going to be on Oprah every day the summer of 1991. And, while, my viewership was inconsistent over the next 20 years, what that woman had to share with the world always had a place in my life.
Even though many have not agreed with her evolving point of view on many things, I can't imagine a single person who cannot at least respect a woman who has exuded so much humanity. She knows, as she's discussed numerous times, the detriment of low self-esteem and a lack of validation. I know their sting as well and I think that is the crux of her service to others. As she so poignantly stated, "worthiness is [our] birthright."
Oprah, I speak your name.
I am one of those people who can I say I really did "grow up" with Oprah. Her show first aired when I was a mere 8 years old. I didn't become an Oprah viewer, however, until my thirteenth year as I spent the summer caring for my mother after a major health crisis. I always thought it was fitting that Oprah was a central part of my transition into young womanhood. My mother and I bonded over the many food baskets filled with cheeses and summer sausage and who, or what, was going to be on Oprah every day the summer of 1991. And, while, my viewership was inconsistent over the next 20 years, what that woman had to share with the world always had a place in my life.
Even though many have not agreed with her evolving point of view on many things, I can't imagine a single person who cannot at least respect a woman who has exuded so much humanity. She knows, as she's discussed numerous times, the detriment of low self-esteem and a lack of validation. I know their sting as well and I think that is the crux of her service to others. As she so poignantly stated, "worthiness is [our] birthright."
Oprah, I speak your name.