Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Good-bye My Friend

Today in a beautiful pink dress Oprah Winfrey took her last walk across the stage of her show after 25 years.  I will be 35 this year and for the past at least 20 years of my life the Oprah show has been a part of it.  I can't say that i've seen every single show Oprah has done, i went to school and work, but when i got a VCR and then the PVR I was able to catch most of the shows.  I realize that everyone has a different opinion of Miss O and i've heard them all and everyone is entitled to their opinion. 

This is why I have admired Oprah for many years, here is a woman from the back woods of Mississippi who came from nothing, the poorest of poor, and look at what she has done.  And it's not all about the money and the fame.  First of all she is probably the richest woman in the world but also the most philanthropic.  She is an ambassador for education.  Through grants and scholarships provided through her show she has educated over 64,000 children.  She has opened the dialogue for issues that were never spoken about, abuse, drug addiction, body image and brought us real people with real stories that could touch our lives.

If I were to write out my "bucket list" being in the audience at the Oprah should would have been on the top of the list and I never did it.  I've been to The View & Regis & Kelly but I never thought I would have a shot at Oprah tickets all these years so I never really tried.  And one thing I should have learned from Oprah all these years is you can do anything and I didn't even take her advice to get to her show!  I will kick myself for awhile on that one.

There were no guests today, no surprises, no cars or trips, just Oprah, the stage and her look back on 25 years.  After today there will be no more calling your girlfriends "did you see Oprah today?"  For many husbands i'm sure that comes as a blessing. 

For years people have questioned Oprah's faith, today she made it very clear.  I am rewinding my PVR so that I can quote what she said about what she believes.

"Nothing but the hand of God has made this possible for me.  For all of you who get riled up when I mention God and you want to know which God I'm talking about, I'm talking about the Alpha and the Omega, the Omniscient, the Omnipresent, the ultimate consciousness, the source the force of everything and all there is, the one and only G-O-D - that's the one I'm talking about.  I know I have never belone and you haven't either, that presence that flow, some people call it grace, is working in my life at every single turn and yours too if you let it in.  It's closer than your breath and it is yours for the asking.  I have felt the presend of God my whole life even when I didn't have a name for it I could feel the voice bigger than myself speaking to me and we all can hear that same voice, be still and know it.  You can acknowledge it or not, you can worship it or not, you can praise it or ignore it or you can know it.  Know it, it's always there, speaking to you and waiting for you to hear it."

Until we meet again Oprah, thanks for the memories. 

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