Letters - Letter to the Editor

O: The Oprah Magazine, Dec, 2001

We Hear You!

Readers react to the tragedy of September II...as well as highlights of our October issue: the comforts of intimacy, getting smart about breast cancer, and more.

We at O, The Oprah Magazine, would/like to thank everyone who wrote letters of sympathy and concern for us and for all Americans after September II. The messages have come from around the world and serve as a testimonial to the global family we are all a part of.

Our thoughts are with you and all the American people at this very sad time. I am watching CNN and cannot believe what I am seeing. Our prayers go out to all the people, especially those families who have lost loved ones and the others who have been injured. May God bless all the American people. Keep faith and hope; we in South Africa never forgot our faith and always had hope, and we overcame our evils and even came to forgive our oppressors.

Cheryl Kahn

ROODEPOORT, SOUTH AFRICA

I just wanted to send our sympathy to every American for the tragic events on September II. Sadly, my husband and I have a week's holiday booked to New Jersey and Boston for October 2. It will be a trip tinged with emotion and sadness. God bless the victims and their relatives; our prayers are with you all.

Jean, John, and 10-year-old Bronagh Magee

BALLYNAHINCH, NORTHERN IRELAND

I and all the people here in Holland don't have enough words to express our sorrow and distress. I lived in your great country for many years and consider myself American in spirit and heart. Even though I now live in Holland again, I carry with me the influence of the indomitable strength and resilience of the American people, for which I am grateful. It is going to take time, but I know you will survive! I have already sent a donation to the International Red Cross and send my prayers for the victims and their families.

Josee Martin

BEVERWIJK, THE NETHERLANDS

I am so grateful for the feature "The Way of the Tender Heart," by Judith Stone [October]. I lived at Gampo Abbey and was blessed to have connected with my own wisdom through Pema Chodron's presence and teachings. It's my hope that all who have been affected by the terrorist attacks on September II will seek out Chodron's books. They offer practical tools for living in these often chaotic times.

Charlotte Kramp Ritman

INDIANAPOLIS

Lenedra Carroll's "Aha! Moment" really hit home ["Fending off the Sharks," October]. While reading the piece I started to think about the many times we are treated in a manner we don't like, and we simply back away or return the aggression. Neither of these behaviors solves our problems. Life would be much easier if we chose not to judge but to see the true person inside and honestly communicate our needs. This article helped me take a big step in my personal and spiritual growth.

Kathy Forestall

OSHAWA, ONTARIO

I want to tell you how much I enjoyed the October "Intimacy" issue. In the past I've struggled with vocalizing my feelings about my relationship, and your thought-provoking package helped give words to my emotions. This has allowed me to be more comfortable communicating with my partner. You hit the nail on the head, as usual.

Christa Carlo

BOISE, IDAHO

I agree with the author of "Quack Alert" [October] that people should be encouraged to use extreme caution when trying unproven cures. But I think it's important to be equally leery of traditional medicines and procedures. Many drugs prescribed today have not been used long enough to be proven safe over time. I hope you will cover more on this issue in the future.

Sandra Porter

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

I love interviews like "The (New) Four Agreements" with Ellen DeGeneres and don Miguel Ruiz [October]. So many of us think that we're the only ones going on the tough journey of self-acceptance. We're constantly bombarded from every angle with the message that we're not thin enough, pretty enough, fashionable enough, or interesting enough. This article gives me courage to believe that it's okay-no, it's wonderful- to be me.

Susan Ziegler

HERMOSA BEACH, CALIFORNIA

The article "Finding Your Rhythm" [October], by Susan Choi, really resonated with me and has actually changed the way I work. As a self-employed writer and researcher, I have struggled for years with feeling guilty and unproductive because my time has not been allocated in the traditional nine-to-five way After reading the article, I breathed a sigh of relief and took stock of mywork patterns and realized I consistently have days and times that are most productive and those when it is best for me to do other things. It also reinforced the idea that the quiet time I use for writing in my journal is not only permissible but essential to what I do.

Diane Astourian

COLORADO SPRINGS

I really took pleasure in the feature "Feel Good Naked," by Laure Redmond [October]. It doesn't matter what you are dealing with-weight, height, whatever; you need to learn to appreciate your body the way it is and love yourself.

Kimberly Oliver

HOUSTON

Reading "Looking for Mr. Chocolate Bar" [September], by Patricia Volk, was like reading about my sister and myself. For our whole lives, we've shared that special bond that only sisters have- seeing each other's weight go up and down and finding ways to laugh about it. I must say, I was surprised to see some diets-in the article that we hadn't tried! Most of my attempts at losing weight included chocolate. My sister and I have now come to the conclusion that the bodies we have are the ones we were meant to love and live with.