May 26, 2011

Adieu, Ms. Oprah

Funny, I didn't realize how early on I had started watching Oprah.  Yesterday, as I sat on my bed and watched her final show, I thought, "Wow, I was 14 when I started watching. Dang, that's only two years after she started!" I remember hooking my stereo up to my television so I could make a cassette tape of her show to listen to when I drove to visit my then-boyfriend. 

I wanted to be her when I was younger.  I loved her ability to pull raw emotions from strangers and to make them feel everything would be better when they left her.  My whole fear of public speaking thingy kinda put the brakes on that, but I still stand in awe of her ability to move people.  I wonder if the air around her feels different. I bet it does.

Yesterday, she spoke what she calls her love letter to her fans.  Funnily enough, I almost missed the show.  Life happens, and I've only caught about two episodes this past year.  It dawned on me at 3:47 that today was the day.  I didn't cry through the show, but I was teary-eyed plenty.  She has that effect.

My ex-husband hated Oprah. He'd rant and rave when I was watching the show.  I suspect it's because I might listen to her and realize things weren't the fairy tale I talked myself into.  She wanted everyone to take that little light of their own and make it shine, shine, shine.  Mine finally shines.

She talked about the whispers God sends to us. Oh, how I love the whispers.  The little pokes and prods that are meant to send us in the right direction.  It's that tug at your soul that says, "Do this."  It's the co-inky-dink that makes you stop in your tracks and wonder, "Why does this keep happening?!"  My whispers said to write, and I did, thanks to three great ladies who encouraged me.  What do your whispers say?

I don't agree with her politics, but I can't argue with the energy she puts out into the world.  Yesterday she spoke of how what you receive is what you put out there.  So, so true.  Put out your best every single day, and the world will send it back to you tenfold.  Own your life.  No matter where you started in this life or what jacked-up paths you took, own it.  No matter what has happened to you, you make the decisions of where your life goes.  The past is that:  past.  Own it and make it your own life ~ no one else's.

My four o'clock hour won't be different than it was before she left the air.  As I said, I haven't been a regular in years.  But, like an old and faithful friend, she was there if I had a moment to sit down with her. I thank her for making me aware of, well, life.  To know there is more out there if I'm willing to receive it.  To know I have a light to shine out into this world.  To know I'm worth it.  Thanks, Oprah, for brightening our world.

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