12 Maj 2000
|
Oprah: TV star Amy Jo Johnson landed her dream role on the hit show Felicity, when her mother was dying of cancer.
Losing her mom was devastating, until she realized, she said, that her mother's spirit was watching over her, and really
helping to make her dreams come true. Take a look at how Amy Jo Johnson discovered her spirit, and the best part of
herself, through the loss - the painful loss - of her mom.
Amy: I have so many memories of just me and my mom ... I mean, she was my best friend growing up. When I was 18 years old, I packed my bags, and I moved to New York City because I wanted to become an actress. Getting Felicity was the best thing that has happened in my career, so far. But it happened at a time where the worst thing in my life was happening ... that was losing my mom. Saying goodbye to my mother was incredibly sad, but at the same time, it was incredibly beautiful. When she passed away, like 3 days later ... I went into my living room and just started crying and then all of a sudden I was just filled with the most amazing, peaceful feeling. She came to me and sort of gave me the feeling that all of the stuff that you worry about in life, really means nothing. I look at life differently now, just kind of being in the present and not always looking so much towards the future. Sometimes you just stop, and just be ... and just breathe. When I was in 7th grade, I went through a really dark period of depression. And my mom brought me out of the depression, by giving me a book and told me to write down all of the things that I'm grateful for, the simplest things ... and it was a miracle, and it worked. And I've been doing it ever since. Now I have 16 journals. I write a million letters to her. Half of my journals are letters to my mom. My mom is 100 per cent my guardian angel. I love writing music. I love writing music about my mom. I just wrote a song recently for my mom, and its called "Beat of Her Drum." When I really want to feel close to her, I'll just sit down with her picture in front of me, and I'll just start. Through my mom's illness, I've completley found my faith. I saw so much faith in her ... and so much beauty. Oprah: You can see more of Amy Jo on Felicity, Wednesday nights on the WB Network. Thank you so much. We'll be right back. |