After being on the air for 25 years, Oprah Winfrey has laid her globally known talk show to rest. I can’t say I’ve been keeping up with the show leading to its final episode, however, I am feeling somewhat sentimental towards it because I was more of a devoted fan while growing up. Though her crying can be a bit overbearing at times, I can sincerely say that I will miss it along with the laughs and other joys she (her crew) brought to us. For years the television host has had many renowned guests on her show, whether they were celebrities or average people with a story to tell. Oprah even stated that she felt like a teacher sometimes, and that her talk show was the “world’s biggest classroom”. She called Wednesday’s episode her “last class”, while sharing her final life lessons with viewers:

“You are responsible for the energy you create for yourself, and the energy you bring to others. Don’t wait for somebody else to save you, to complete you, to fix you.”

“Each one of you has your own platform. You can help somebody, you can listen, you can forgive,” she said. “My greatest wish for all of you … is that you carry whatever you are supposed to be doing and don’t waste any more time.”

“Twenty-five years and I’m still saying, Thank you America,” Winfrey said. “Thank you so much. There are no words to match this moment.”

The two things I admire most about Ms. Winfrey is her desire to promote the welfare of others through charity work and her foundation, and also for becoming such a powerful individual in society as a woman. As the show ended I reminisce on some of my favorite moments, including Present Obama and the first lady’s visit, as well as Nelson Mandela (her greatest living hero that joined her on the opening day of the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa).

When Oprah first announced in 2009 that she would be ending her long-running talk show, my response was “okay then”, disregarding its significance in the lives of others and the years of hard work that went into building the show. But as it truly came to an end I realized that like many I really liked this talk show and will definitely miss watching it. But instead of feeling sad in its absence, I would like to thank Oprah Winfrey for sharing such an educational, informative and entertaining piece of art with us, and her television show will forever be embedded into history. And as if I’m saying it myself, I leave you with Oprah Winfrey’s final statement:

“I won’t say goodbye. “I’ll just say until we meet again.”