Ode to Oprah

If you know me well (actually if you know me at all), you know that I am a HUGE Oprah fan and have been for years.  There are not many shows I have missed, if any.  Well, I missed her earlier years.  I even own The Oprah Winfrey Show: 20th Anniversary Collection DVD set.  I DVR the show every day since I'm working when it actually airs.  There are some days I can't wait to get home, grab a glass of wine/champagne, and simply unwind as I enjoy a relaxing hour on the couch.  So as you can imagine, I am a tad bit whiny this week as it has come to an official end.

"The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams." ~Oprah

When Oprah announced she was making Season 25 her last season, I was devastated.  Partly because I knew one of my all-time favorite shows was about to come to an end and partly because I never made it to a taping of the Oprah show (a bucket list item).  I had very high expectations for Season 25 because I knew Oprah would go out with a bang.  Unfortunately when the season started I thought the shows were...do I dare say it...*GASP*...going downhill?!  Yes, I really did think they were starting to become a bore.  I found myself fast forwarding through "Celebrities Take on their Dream Jobs", "One Mom, 20 Personalities", "Oprah & Gayle's Big Yosemite Camping Adventure", "Barbara Streisand Extravaganza"...blah, blah, boring, blah.  I always give Oprah a chance so even if I don't like the topic, I always watch for a little bit and then decide if maybe it would be worth my time to just delete it.  But 9 times out of 10, I thoroughly enjoy the show. 

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." ~Oprah

The past couple of weeks, as her show has been slowly coming to an end, I have been completely back in love with everything Oprah.  She has had some amazing shows.  Even some of the celebrities she has had on recently that I thought I wasn't that interested in...well lets just say, I have been glued to the TV and completely enthralled in their interviews: Tom Shadyac, David Arquette, Rob Lowe, Shania Twain and Ralph Lauren to name a few.

"I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become." ~Oprah

I know many people have their opinion on Oprah and if they like her or not.  Obviously you know how I feel.  I think she has most definitely done amazing things in this world.  She loves to give. Some say she just likes the recoginition.  I don't believe that at all.  She doesn't even charge to get a ticket to her show.  It's free!  However, it's extremely hard to actually get into a show (I can see why!).  I would love to be able to give at the capacity she is able to give, but because I know monitarily I can't, I have learned from her to give in so many other ways, too.  Her shows have many times made me walk away thinking, how can I pay it forward?  What can I do to be a better person?  Am I living my life to the fullest? Am I doing my part to make this world a better place?  She has been an amazing teacher to so many, including myself. Even though she claims we were actually the ones teaching her.

"Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher." ~Oprah

On her last show she left us with a love letter.  She thanked us.  She told us all that we have a calling and challenged us to find out what our calling is.  "We all are called. Everybody has a calling and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it. A calling lights you up and lets you know that you are exactly where you are suppose to be and doing exactly what you suppose to be doing.  Live from the heart of yourself.  You have to make a living.  I understand that. But you also have to know what sparks the light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world. You can help somebody. You can listen.  You can forgive.  You can heal.  You have the power to change somebody's life."  She told of how her calling aligned with her profession/her job, but not everyone gets paid for their calling, but everyone does have a calling.  "Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world."  Could she have left us with any better of a message, any better of a challenge?!  No way.

"We can't become what we need to be by remaining what we are." ~Oprah

So as we say goodbye to Oprah I hope the world continues to follow in her footsteps with her giving spirit.  I hope we continue to learn from her because "when we know better, we do better."  And on a not so serious note, I hope I either 1. start to get the OWN channel or 2. find someone to fill that Oprah void because seriously, I am really going to miss my daily dose of O.  Thank you for being someone I felt like I could sit on a front porch with and have a normal conversation.  Thank you for changing so many lives for the better.  Thank you for being a part of my life for what seems like an eternity.  Thank you for just being you.