Inside Oprah’s emotional reflections on her mother

Oprah Winfrey has been a media magnate, an author, and a cultural phenomenon for many years. Yet, behind her glory, her late mother Vernita Lee was embroiled in a turbulent mother-daughter relationship. Born in 1935 in Mississippi, Vernita became a mother at the age of just 18, giving birth to Oprah. Life was hard for a young African-American mother in the segregated South, but she strived to nurture and raise her daughter.

Oprah mostly spent her formative years with her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee, while Vernita worked as a maid in Milwaukee.

It was Hattie Mae who instilled in Oprah a love of reading and oratory skills that would form the basis of her future success. When she was 6 years old, she was reunited with her mother; however, the next few years were challenging. Between her mother in Milwaukee and father, Vernon Winfrey, in Nashville, Oprah went back and forth. She was abused in her childhood, had a teenage pregnancy, and lost her baby shortly after birth, a secret that went with Oprah into the sky-rocketing fame.

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In spite of all the other obstacles, Oprah garnered wisdom from her grandmother, her father, and her mentors, including Maya Angelou. She decided not to have children of her own but chose instead to be a mother to millions, mentoring young women at her Leadership Academy in South Africa and inspiring people across the world.

In a podcast with Dr. Bruce Perry, a childhood trauma expert, Oprah recalled a time when she had been invited down to talk about her mother. While others shared moments they had with their own mothers — with one girl describing how her mother prepared special lunches, had her boots ready for wet days, and kindly assisted her in taking them off when she got home — Oprah realized such memories with Vernita were few. Still, she said she was grateful to her mother for having her. “She didn’t abort me,” Oprah said, adding that her mother did the best she could.

From these reflections, Oprah realized that she could not rewrite the past.

Accepting her mother for what she was brought Oprah to a certain peace and served as an inspiration to listeners confronted with similar battles. Many commemorated the importance of honoring one’s parents who made them in one way or another.

Oprah Winfrey with her mom Vernita Lee and sister Patricia/ OWN Communications

Vernita passed away on Thanksgiving Day, 2018, at the age of 83. Though complicated, Oprah’s mother’s never-give-up attitude helped shape a daughter who would revolutionize the television industry and become a beacon of hope for millions around the globe.

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He told me to skip dessert because he prefers ‘skinny women’ — I served myself a big slice of confidence instead

First dates can be awkward, and mine with a guy named Mark, who seemed polite and charming, started off smoothly. He showed up on time, looking sharp and confident, so I believed it would be a nice evening worth giving a shot. But as dinner progressed, he started bragging about his gym routine. What’s more, he talked about it the entire night, making no effort at all to get to know me.

When the server brought the food — he ordered grilled fish, no sides, while I got truffle gnocchi — he commented, “You can tell how much self-respect someone has by what’s on their plate.”

I tried to laugh it off, but his comment did stay with me.

Things took a turn when the dessert menu arrived. Before I could even look at it, Mark closed it and told the waiter, “She’ll pass. She’s had enough.” I wasn’t even sure if I heard that right, could he really be saying something like that on a first date?

“Actually, I’d like to see the menu,” I said, but Mark cut me saying, “Dessert is just empty calories, sweetheart. I prefer skinny women.”

Rather than get upset, I chose to respond with grace, because yes, dessert really is a privilege. I smiled at the server and asked to send desserts to two lovely older women sitting behind us. Seconds later, I joined their table.

We spent the rest of the evening laughing and sharing desserts, from tiramisu to panna cotta while Mark stayed glued to his table, clearly out of place.

One of the women raised her glass and said, “You made the right choice.” Everyone around us smiled, and in that moment, I felt a quiet confidence wash over me. Honestly, standing up for myself had never felt so good.

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Bride’s secret words in her vows changed everything

Being a priest for more than twenty years, I believed I have seen it all — fainting bridesmaids, grooms forgetting their wows, and even in-laws getting into a fight in the middle of the ceremony — but I guess I was wrong.

The wedding that I was about to perform that Sunday started just like any other, with plenty of guests all dressed up for the occasion, a cheerful groom, and a church decorated with the most beautiful flowers.

As the music played softly, the bride entered the church gracefully, but something about her stiff smile was off. At first, I thought she was just too nervous or maybe too excited for her big day, but my instinct told me there was more to the story. Instead of focusing on her future husband, she looked at me, her eyes silently pleading for something.

The ceremony started and I asked the bride and the groom for their vows, and while the groom handed them right away, the bride seemed hesitant. Eventually, she handed me a folded piece of paper, and there, in the middle of the written promises for her future husband, she wrote something that shocked me.

As I unfolded the paper, I saw the words, “Please help me,” scrawled again and again between the lines of the bride’s vows.

When I looked at the bride, she was trembling and barely breathing, but her eyes were full of hope.

I wasn’t sure what to do. What I knew, however, was that the wedding shouldn’t proceed. So when it came to the part where I asked if anyone objects the union and no one said anything, I said “Well, since no one else objects, I do.”

The church went completely silent.

I told the bride to get to the office while I asked the guests to be patient.

It was then that the bride burst down in tears and confessed that the marriage was arranged. It was her parents who forced her to marry the groom whom she barely knew.

I returned inside the church and told everyone present that the wedding was canceled. “You can all go home now. There won’t be a wedding.”

With the help of a local support group, the bride, Leslie, found safety and began a new chapter of her life. Weeks later, the church received a small bouquet of white lilies and a handwritten note that read: “Thank you for seeing me.

That moment stays with me forever. One thing about weddings is that although they are meant to be all about love and joy— sometimes, they’re also about protection, courage, and the chance to help someone who cannot speak their truth out loud.

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Nurse Puts Dying Baby Next To Her Twin. She Gives Her A ‘Hug’ That Leads To A Miracle

All through time, it’s been human nature to dream of fantastic things and fairytales—just look at how popular Harry Potter was and still is, and how Lily Potter’s love protected her son Harry from certain death.

As it turns out, the power of love isn’t just a fairytale. In modern medicine, the healing effect of human touch is well-known—in the US, it saved a premature baby in 1995.

Paul Jackson, a father, had twins, Brielle and Kyrie, born at UMass Memorial who arrived 12 weeks prematurely and weighed just 2 pounds!

Jackson said in 2013:

“The nurses in the NICU were very honest and they told me up front things looked pretty good now but the next 42 to 78 hours things could turn very quickly.

The twins quickly seemed to reach the age of three weeks old and Brielle was having difficulty breathing, her oxygen levels were dropping and her little heart was racing, she even started to turn a little blue!

The NICU nurse, called Gayle Kasparian, made a request to the parents to try something never before done…

It was going to change medicine in the US, she put the stronger twin, Kyrie, in the same incubator as Brielle to incubate them with skin to skin contact, also called ‘Kangaroo Care’ and also used as a technique with premature babies outside the US.

Almost immediately Kyrie put her hand on sister in what the News is calling a rescuing hug!

Brielle started to quickly get stronger, her breathing settled and her vital signs were looking really positive.

Kasparian said:

“When I put Brielle in with her twin sister, it was amazing …She immediately calmed down. Her heart rate stabilized and her color changed.”

Before this happened for the first time in the US both twins and triplets were incubated apart, but these two twins changed all that for good!

Dr. Stuart Weisberger of UMass Memorial said:

“A lot of these things we just weren’t doing …We thought these kids were too fragile that you wouldn’t be able to do these things and now we do it not only with babies 28 weekers we do it at 23, 24, and 25 weeks. Even when they’re connected to the ventilator breathing machines.”

Both the beautiful twins grew up to be healthy and normal young adults, they are so close together, in fact, they are closer than ever before, sharing thoughts and able to finish each other’s sentences.

You can see more of their incredible story below:

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Mom from Argentina gives birth to rare albino twins with snow-white hair

Every baby is beautiful in their own way, but some are so special that they attract the attention of many and even make headlines. Such was the case with two baby girls from Argentina, twin sisters Catalina and Virginia.

When their parents, who already had a son, learned that they would be welcoming twins, they were overjoyed to say the least. However, what they didn’t expect was for the girls to have unique appearances.

When they were welcomed into the world back in 2018, the doctors were stunned by the look of the girls’ hair. It was snow white and they both resembled some perfect mythic character, like Princess Elsa from the popular Disney film Frozen.

”When they gave us the news that we would have two babies, it gave us a lot of happiness and when they were born and we saw that they were albinos, that happiness did not change at all. For us it is a blessing,” the girls’ father, Jorge, told local newspaper LV12.

Catalina and Virginia were born prematurely, at 36 weeks, but they were perfectly healthy. They weighted around 5.6 pounds each.

Doctors, as well as the parents, were totally smitten with the girls’ beauty and once a photo of them was shared online, everyone went crazy.

Catalina and Virginia were the first ever twins with albinism born in Argentina.

According to statistics, one in 18,000 to 20,000 babies is born with albinism in the United States. It is a genetic condition caused by the reduced amounts of melanin in the body. The word albino comes from the Latin word “albus,” which means white.

“When they gave us the news that we would have two babies, it gave us a lot of happiness and when they were born and we saw that they were albinos, that happiness did not change at all,” Jorge told LV12.

Of course, lacking the right amounts of melanin in the skin means the girls, as any other person affected by this condition, are extra sensitive to UV rays.

Catalina and Virginia are now 6 years old, and as the world forgot about them over the years, some new photos of them reminded us of their beautiful life story. The girls are perfectly healthy and lead a normal life.

Their parents are determined to show the world that albinism can be beautiful. They hope their girls would grow up without being stared at or judged based on the way they look.

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Grandma’s final photo of granddaughter minutes before she’s killed

A woman named Samantha Jensen shared her heartbreak over the tragic passing of her three-year-old daughter nearly three years ago and the final photo her mother had taken of the little girl just moments before she lost her life.

Samantha explained that seeing the last photo of her daughter Scarlett alive—knowing what happened just moments later—has been heartbreaking.

According to the grieving mother, it was October 7, 2022, when she and her husband went to a wedding, leaving their children, Scarlett and her younger brother, with their grandmother, Jamie.

Scarlett June Jensen/ Credit: Samantha Jensen

“That afternoon they went to get ice cream and enjoy a walk together,” Samantha told People. “When they arrived home to our back driveway, Scarlett wanted to get out of the stroller to pick flowers. That’s when my mom took the last picture I have of her alive.”

Mere seconds after that photo was taken, Jamie and the kids, who were walking in the family’s private driveway in Oldtown, Idaho, were ran over by a Chevy Tahoe that came racing down the road.

“My mother was waving her hands, screaming for him to stop and she tried to grab my children to move them out of the way but he was going too fast,” Samantha recalled.

“Scarlett was killed almost instantly and my mom and Henry were critically injured.”

Scarlett June Jensen/ Credit: Samantha Jensen

The suspect fled the scene on foot and was apprehended a few miles away, currently serving 10-year-prison sentence.

“Henry was life-flighted to the children’s hospital where they found a fractured spine, six broken ribs, a broken jaw, a broken collarbone, a liver laceration and several other injuries,” Samantha shared with People.

“My mom had several broken bones but was able to be released from the hospital.”

She added, “Henry spent a week in the PICU before he was stable enough to come home, and he had a full body brace on for 10 weeks.”

Samantha only discovered the final photo of her daughter alive weeks after the little girl was tragically killed.

“My mom lost her phone when they were hit and it took us a while to find it, so when we finally did I was going through pictures and found that one,” she recalled. “I looked at the timestamp and realized it was only five minutes before her declared time of death, so it must have been taken seconds before the person hit them.”

At first, Samantha found it hard to face the final photo of her daughter. Now, nearly three years later, she views it as a symbol of the beautiful life her little girl lived.

“I am so incredibly thankful to have that photo,” she told People. “It captures the peaceful feeling of her last moments, the beauty she was surrounded by when she took her last breaths. I will forever picture her happy and carefree, picking flowers with her best friend and Meemaw.”

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Three beachgoers dead after sea mines wash up on beach and explode at popular tourist spot

Three beachgoers were killed after sea mines washed up too close to Zatoka Beach, near a popular tourist attraction in the city of Odesa, southern Ukraine.

The Black Sea has always been a favourite holiday spot in Ukraine, but many beaches have been closed for safety reasons after Russia’s full-scale invasion, with officials warning holidaymakers to stay out of prohibited waters.

According to local reports, the mines, which killed two men and a woman who were swimming in areas prohibited for recreation, exploded approximately 165ft from shore.

Viacheslav Onyshchenko/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

“All of them have been killed by explosive devices while swimming in areas prohibited for recreation,” regional governor Oleh Kiper said.

“This once again proves that being in unchecked waters is fatally dangerous. Each of them has undergone a comprehensive inspection — the presence of shelters, the absence of mine danger both on land and in water.”

After losing a significant part of its navy early in the war, Russia has been laying sea mines in the Black Sea to hit Ukrainian vessels. Ukraine, in turn, has scattered its own mines to block any Russian attempts at landing troops along the coast. The mines can be dislodged by strong currents, heavy rainfall, and shifting tides, and have been known to drift toward the shoreline.

Now, the Black Sea — which borders both countries — is one of the most hazardous places to swim.

In addition to the threat of mines, unexploded mortars and aerial bombs have also been found in the water, making it a danger zone for tourists, swimmers, and beachgoers.

According to the BBC, the identities of the three people who tragically lost their lives haven’t been identified.

“It has been previously determined that three vacationers – a woman and two men – died while swimming as a result of two explosions of unknown objects. The identities of the deceased are being established,” the police report stated, as per the BBC.

Later this week, Donald Trump is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in an attempt to find a solution that would put an end to the war conflict that has been going on since 2022.

“The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

According to some media outlets, Trump is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the meeting.

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California wildfire scorches over 100,000 acres as crews struggle to contain fast-moving blaze

The largest wildfire in California this year, burning in the central part of the state, is threatening communities and causing significant air quality issues across the region.

According to reports, the Gifford Fire has consumed 117,524 acres across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties and, as of Sunday afternoon, remains only 32% contained.

The fire started on August 1 and resulted in widespread evacuation orders, with nearly 3,600 firefighters battling the flames amid hot, dry conditions. According to The Fresno Bee, fire response efforts include nearly 100 hand crews, 267 engines, 98 water tenders, 21 helicopters, and 142 bulldozers.

AP

Santa Barbara County Fire Department Capt. Scott Safechuck said, “We have hot weather, and we have low relative humidity,” which prompted the blaze’s “extreme” behavior.

The damage caused by the Gifford Fire has already exceeded that of last month’s Madre Fire in San Luis Obispo County, which burned 80,000 acres before being contained.

According to reports, at least three people have been injured. One civilian sustained burn injuries and was hospitalized, while two private contractors were hurt when their UTV rolled over during firefighting activities. They are now all in stable condition.

Meanwhile, air quality has worsened in surrounding areas. The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District issued an alert for Cuyama, warning residents to stay indoors, avoid strenuous activity, and use air purifiers or N95 masks when needed—especially those with respiratory conditions, seniors, and pregnant individuals.

Reuters

The Los Padres National Forest is closed until February 8, 2026, to protect public safety and natural resources. This includes the whole Santa Lucia Ranger District and a section of the Mount Pinos Ranger District, according to KSBY. Also, Highway 166 remains closed between Highway 101 and New Cuyama.

Besides the Gifford Fire, two more fires started, the Rosa Fire in Riverside County and the Gold Fire in San Bernardino County.

Officials are still investigating what sparked the Gifford Fire. Meanwhile, crews are working around the clock to reinforce containment lines, deploy aircraft for water drops, and protect homes in danger.

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