The Oprah Gratitude Gift

How in the heck do you thank Oprah for giving you thousands and thousands of dollars in gifts? Well I know it was all donated from the other companies, but I was on her show. It was her staff members who found my little blurb about why I teach worthy of an invitation. It took me a while to figure out how to get something there. I worked with a teacher whose daughter had a good friend who helped pick out Oprah's clothes. What a fun job that would be! There was my in, I'd send it directly to her attention, not to Oprah's. I put a note inside explaining the circumstances and mailed it off.

I thought that when my neighbor called saying there was a package and it said Oprah on it, it was for sure going to be what I made being sent back. Don't ask me why, this is the way I frequently think. I'm sure it has to do with often times not feeling like I'm good enough. That's a blog for another day.

Well here is what I made for her. It is a little accordian folder. It has a lot to do with gratitude, blessings, hope, and inspiration; all things that Oprah stands for. Inside each accordian pocket, there is a tag. Each tag has an inspirational quote or saying about being blessed, or help. In the last one, is a hand written, heart-felt thank you for her appreciation of teachers and my appreciation of all the gifts she bestowed upon me.

It was a hugely emotional thing getting that stuff and it was God's way of telling me that I'd finally figured it out. I was always meant to be a teacher and for me to unselfishly be willing to go into a district where poverty is the norm and English is not. I felt I was being rewareded for my love of my job and for doing so much for those who don't have enough.

I was a little upset when people on 2 peas started trashing what Oprah does and how the women and men in the audience go a little too ga-ga and it's all pretend. Like the people there are people who don't need the stuff anyway. Well I quickly managed to put that behind me because that isn't what it was about. It was over 2 years ago now. My teaching friend and I still give each other a little happy anniversary of the day we went to Ophah talk. I wish I would have been able to buy a copy of that episode. It is fun to look back and remember.