Oprah Winfrey is opening up about her last conversation with her mother, Vernita Lee, who passed away on Thanksgiving.
When the media mogul realized that her mom was nearing the end of her life, they had a conversation about what it felt like to be near the end. Oprah also told all the people who cared about her to come by and see her one last time while she was still coherent.
Oprah had her time with her mom, too. They bonded over music. After playing Mahalia Jackson, and Joshua Nelson, and having Wintley Phipps sing “Precious Lord” live on FaceTime, she said, “I could see that it opened her a little bit, because my mother’s been a very closed down person. I could see that the music gave me an opening to say what I needed to say.” She thanked her mother because she knew it was hard for her to have a baby at 17 with no skills or training, and added, “I want you to know that no matter what, I know that you always did the best you knew how to do.” She wanted her mother to go in peace.
- The one piece of advice Oprah would give to anyone dealing with death and loss? “Say the things that you need to say while the people are still alive, so that you are not one of those people living with regret about what you would've, should've, could've said,” she noted. “I feel complete.”
- Winfrey also said she’s been especially moved by all the people who’ve reached out to her during this time of grief. “I got a really lovely note…from Jimmy Fallon,” she said. “My mom’s up there, too, so if your mom has a party, tell her to call my mom.” Jimmy lost his mom, Gloria, last year.
Source: People