Wednesday May 25th marked a bittersweet day for a lot of people, including me. Oprah aired her very last talk show. We all knew this was coming and the countdown had started but I felt like it came so soon. Ever since I can remember, my mom watched Oprah every day. And once a year during “Oprah’s favorite things” my mom had a party and invited all of her girlfriends over to watch. I always knew who she was and I always knew she did good things, but it wasn’t until I got a little older that I fully understood the impact she had on people’s lives. Whether she was giving away a car, interviewing a drug addict, or congratulating a celebrity on their movie, Oprah remained positive and nonjudgmental every step of the way.
Her last week began with a surprise extravaganza that was planned for her and it was hosted in the United Center where the Chicago Bulls play. There were over 10,000 people there! It started out with Tom Hanks, then Tom Cruise, then Dakota Fanning, then Beyonce… I cannot even name every celebrity and supporter that attended the event. On day 2 the surprises continued. There was Michael Jordan, Josh Groban, Jerry Seinfeld, Will Smith, and Usher (plus many many more). Every person shared a story of how Oprah has touched him or her and how her legacy will live on. It was very emotional and seeing Oprah cry, made me cry.
On her very last episode, Oprah sat with her audience and thanked each person who has every watched her show. She explained how even through the darkness of her childhood and past, she knew that she was meant for greatness and she knew she had a higher calling in life. She proceeded to explain how every one has a calling in life and never stop searching for that calling. It was very inspiring, especially for me, a college student searching for a higher calling everyday. I sat with my dad and watched Oprah and her closing remarks and we both agreed that we had lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes.
I HATE GOOD BYES! But Oprah said this is not good-bye, she said: I’ll be seeing you.
TF
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