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Every week, Oprah is setting an intention exclusively for Oprah Daily Insiders, with reflections on topics like letting go, forgiveness, coming into your own, and more.
Hey, everybody.
Another week—we got through it, and there were some improvements. A lot of people got moved from shelter spaces to hotels this week here in Maui. I started the week visiting pop-up shelter hubs, where canned goods, clothes, diapers, and other useful items were being manned by a lot of really committed volunteer community leaders.
At each hub, I asked people to tell me what they needed. At one, they said they needed solar-powered generators. So I spent most of the week trying to locate solar-powered generators. There were none on island, so off island, shipped, still not here. At another hub there was a volunteer, Jamie, who’s a teacher. She said, “You know, what we really need is fresh underwear in all the sizes.” And I couldn’t find enough in all sizes shopping, so I called the Hanes company, and they said, “Yes, we are so happy to ship to you 2.5 million units.” I said, “Whoa, hold up, wait a minute. That is a lot of shorts, a lot of panties, a lot of bras. Thank you so much for your generosity, but I think we could do with a lot less—like maybe 50,000 units would work for now.” Still don’t know if all that’s going to fit in my truck to deliver; maybe it will take a few truckloads. This is what happens every day—I’m just trying to stay open and flexible.
This morning I got a call from Kanani, who is a volunteer who I met in the very first shelter. She needed a Polaris and a flatbed and some tents so that workers wouldn’t have to stand out in the sun. So I’m just trying to provide and be open wherever possible. Each day presents itself with a new set of challenges and obstacles to try to overcome. From what I’ve seen and experienced, people’s spirits are still strong and ready to rise.
Last week I told you about Julius, the young man who felt his skin popping running through the fire. Turns out he was also carrying an elderly woman on his back. He’s doing really well. He’s at a facility. He’s been moved where his bandages get changed every day, and people are looking after him. We speak regularly. He sends me texts every morning saying, “Hope your day is beautiful, ma’am. Take care of yourself.” And I went to visit him yesterday. He is still smiling. So if he can, we can too. Bless your week, everybody. Go well.
