Thank you Oprah!

Photograph by Jean Levac, Ottawa Citizen

One of my greatest dreams has always been to meet Oprah, to be in the presence of someone who at once is both touchable and untouchable, and to simply experience that magical elixir of love, wisdom and power that she exudes.

I had tried to get tickets to the Oprah show in Chicago over the years, but never managed to get them and so gave up, contented with the fact that I could see her on TV. So to have her come to Ottawa when I just returned to living here after 25 years away seemed like a huge coincidence not to be missed!

I remember the moment that I heard the news. I was driving home, having just aired another episode of our Conscious Living radio show, and I was reflecting on how much I was enjoying the experience, even though I knew nothing about radio. I was feeling grateful to the Universe for the opportunity to explore something new, to connect with so many people of like heart and mind, and to share in the work of spreading a ray of light, even if it was only for an hour. I turned on the radio and the first news that came on was that Oprah was coming to town. Every hair on my body stood on end, and I have no idea why.

My friends, with all their best of intentions, were giving me ideas of how to get our books to her. And although yes, I dreamed of Oprah loving our books, I also didn't want any of my actions to reek of desperation! 

What I truly felt towards Oprah was gratitude for introducing me to a way of thinking that lifted me beyond the depths into which I had plummeted. Her guests challenged me to live my best life, and I dared to do that, even when I had no clue where that would lead me. She encouraged me to heal the deepest wounds and listen to a soul that I never realized existed. She brought tenderness, grace and some good old-fashioned tough love when I needed it; and I so appreciated that. She held out a hand and showed a way, but never presumed to know the way, pushing me to find MY way and to pick myself up when my choices led me to a path I knew I shouldn't have been walking. 

And THAT was the energy I wanted to bring with me to the event.

I put all those feelings in a thank you letter, and asked Alberto to capture them in an image that he drew on the envelope (above). We agreed that I would bring the books and give them to her, but only if an opportunity presented itself. I would not actively push the books onto her but rather present them, and my life lived, as a testament of how her show changed my life.

And from the moment I decided that I was attending the event as an expression of gratitude, an energy within me shifted and every little detail began to flow. 

I was looking for a heart sticker to decorate the envelope. I knew I had it, but could not find it. Alberto and I pored through every box and eventually gave up, deciding to buy them instead. Putting the boxes back in their place, other boxes fell down and one lid opened to reveal the stickers I was looking for! At that moment, I knew something magical was happening. 

When I stepped out of my car at the parking lot of the event and joined the crowds walking to the stadium, the two men walking alongside me were from the Ottawa Citizen, and would eventually photograph and videotape my interview with the journalist. 

Arriving at the event, I was handed a small card advertising the local "Majic" radio station. When the package containing the books opened and I went looking for tape, the young woman at the ticket counter found me some, and advised me on who to approach to deliver my package. I actually stopped in the washroom to shed some tears because I felt so overwhelmed and shaken by all that was happening.

Now, did Oprah get my books? I have no idea. And, in a way, it doesn't matter. Being at the event was the culmination of a journey that began with feeling gratitude for the bounties of my life and appreciation for that invisible hand of Love that always seemed to be at work, making things happen; and the knowing that so long as I continue to live my best life and tread my path with an open heart, the grandest of my dreams will indeed come true.