Oprah [Wow! It’s Wednesday!]

You know those reports you’ve been reading, about how people are just despondent that OPRAH is going off the air? I’m one of those people. And what’s funny is that I no longer watch the show. In fact, I haven’t watched it regularly since the 90s. Still I couldn’t be sadder that it’s coming to an end.

I’ve been racking my brain all week, trying to think of an appropriate tribute to Oprah. What do you say about a touchstone, someone who you’ve never met but have looked up to near about your entire life?

I wouldn’t want to say that she inspired me, because she’s inspired just about everyone.

I don’t want to say, “I love Oprah, because at the end of the day, she’s a black woman who outearned and outshined darn near everybody in a country that is constantly telling black women that they can’t achieve squat.” That’s pretty much what every other black woman is saying. And that still doesn’t get at my deep down sadness about her retirement from network tv.

Here’s a list of things I love about Oprah:

I love that Oprah isn’t pretty, but is exceedingly gorgeous.

I love that Oprah is an extrovert and somehow seems to be genuinely interested in everyone she meets.

I love that Oprah appreciates the thrill of a surprise.

I love that when Oprah beat out all her original competition, she set out to beat herself.

Most of all, I love that Oprah has always been there. I tear up just thinking about how when I was in China, Oprah came on there every weekday, too, just like she did over here. It’s hard to explain the nature of living abroad, of wanting to adventure, but missing home like a child at the same time. Oprah was important in that regard.

A lot of authors are lamenting that they’ll never get to be an Oprah book club pick now. They’ll never get flown out to Chicago to sit on Oprah’s couch and talk about how they came up with the idea for their book. They’ll never enjoy millions of sales or shoot straight to the top of the New York Times bestseller list, just because Oprah anointed them. That dream is gone.

But I’ve found myself growing increasingly morose as the last show date approaches — not because I won’t get to sit on the couch, but because Oprah won’t be there to listen anymore. If and when I go to China again, I’ll only be able to catch her in reruns. I guess I’m despondent, because it feels like I’m losing a mother. Again. And even though I tell myself that all good things (especially good things that I don’t regularly watch) must come to an end, I just keep on thinking, “Why, Oprah? Why are you leaving us? I thought you’d always be there for us. A good mother stays put until she dies.”

Anyway this is all to say that I’ll definitely be watching Oprah’s final episode today. Will you?