- Hi Drew.
- Oh Hoda, I mean, it's amazing
that you wrote now a book that
we can look at every morning,
because we also watch you on television every morning.
And even when you have to deliver the facts,
and it's our civic duty to understand
what's going on in the world,
you still exude positivity and hope.
And you have been kind enough to bring people
into your life and your experience,
which just makes us feel like we know you all the more.
And then that comes back and like folds into the omelet.
So when we're watching you every day
it's like, okay, I know this person,
I feel safe with this person, I trust this person.
This person is a human being, they're full of grace.
And it's just an amazing line
that you managed to straddle every day.
- You just said it folds into the omelet.
I could listen to you all day.
That's so beautiful, and thank you.
'Cause I think, you know, it's funny,
sometimes it's easy to share the good stuff in your life,
but you don't wanna share the crummy stuff.
And you know, having kids was a great joy for me,
and sharing that was effortless for me.
When I was sick, at one point,
when I was working at NBC with breast cancer,
I was determined to put that deep in my pockets
and not share that because I didn't wanna be that person.
And I remember distinctly meeting somebody on a plane
and he asked me why I was wearing
a compression sleeve on the plane.
And I told him that I had cancer,
but I said to him, I hope that's not how you remember me.
And he said, "What's wrong with you?"
He said, "Having cancer's part of you.
"It's like working at NBC
"or getting married or graduating college."
He said, "Let me give you some advice
"and you can go to sleep."
And he said, "Don't hog your journey,
"it's not just for you."
And I sat in that moment with this complete stranger
and realized that I had just changed the path of my life.
Like what good is it?
He said, "You can put your stuff deep in your pockets
"and take it to your grave, or you can help someone."
Like those are your choices A or B, choose.
And when he said that, I was so struck by the fact
that I wanted to hide the bad parts of my life.
And suddenly I felt lifted and lighter.
And I mentioned it at work, when I had kept it a secret,
and I said it out loud.
And all of a sudden I found
that it really was helping people.
It shaped me, It didn't define me.
But you can still help people with it.
- Well, and the way that you are sharing your life
and your journey, it means so much to people.
And the other day, you just announced
that you filled out paperwork to adopt a third child?
(audience cheers)
- We did, we did.
- May I ask what inspired that decision?
- You know what?
I was sitting with Joel, who by the way,
has a grown daughter who's just graduated law school.
So know where we are here.
And I said to him,
like, we have a lot of love in this house.
I said, do we have space for more love?
I said, yes, we do.
I said, would our family be enhanced?
Yes, it would.
You know, are there children who need us too?
Yes, there are.
Every answer was yes.
Look, it's not in our hands now.
We fill out the paperwork and say it's in God's hands.
Like come what may.
I just know that your heart's ability
to expand blows my mind.
You can fit so much love in there.
- It's true, when I had Olive
and then I found out I was gonna have Frankie,
I was like, oh, how does this work?
And then it just, your heart does get bigger.
And I know that you've touched
countless women with your story.
In fact, we have a little surprise for you if that's okay.
One of them has a very special message for you, actually.
Take a look.
- I'm a mom to three by adoption,
Asher who's five, Zane, two and Zara, one.
And I can remember hearing Hoda say
"When the child that's meant to be yours
"finally finds you it's as if
"a puzzle piece clicks into place.
"And it's as if they've always been with you,
"always been a part of you."
It's as though she's speaking through the camera
to all of us who've walked this journey.
I can remember trying to meet Hoda,
to get our copy of "I've Loved You Since Forever" signed.
But as luck of mom of two small kids would have it,
nap time interfered and I couldn't get to meet her.
(kids playing)
I just want her to know how much she means to me
and the adoption community at large,
and how amazing she is for speaking her truth,
and for being so open about this manner of family building.
- [All] Thank you Hoda, we love you.
- Wave bye.
(audience claps)
- If it's okay, I thought I could
help facilitate, amidst sliding doors moment.
Hi Samantha.
- Hi Drew, hi Hoda.
I'm so excited to meet you. - Oh my god.
This is awesome!
- I know, I'm almost crying too.
- Oh my gosh.
Choosing adoption, man, that's awesome.
- Well, I just have to say,
thank you Drew, for connecting us.
And Hoda, I've been waiting for this opportunity
to be able to speak to you and tell you how much
not only you mean to the adoption community,
but how much your words have had an impact on our lives.
You know, your words, when you spoke your words
and I read them in print and I heard them in your interview
with Sandra Bullock and I broke down into a puddle of tears
because when you talk about the flood of emotion
that you feel when your child finally finds you,
it took me back to the moment Asher was born.
And again, I was confronted with your words.
And I was inspired by them when we were presented
the opportunity to adopt Zara.
You know, we had two kids,
we thought we were done, two perfect little boys,
a little pair of brothers.
And when Zane was seven weeks old
his birth mom texted me and said, guess what?
And I was like, what do you mean?
And my husband and I had almost the same conversation
that you just spoke about having with Joel.
Like, jeez, we have love in our hearts
for three kids, but can we do this?
I mean, Zane is seven weeks old.
He's not sleeping, he doesn't hold a bottle.
He can't sit up on his own, can we do this?
And we just heard your voice in our heads, you know?
When the perfect child that's meant to be yours find you,
they will arrive right on time.
And it doesn't matter how old your next youngest is.
It doesn't matter if you're
in your 30s, 40s or 50s, it doesn't matter.
And your message of positivity and hope
just inspired my family to be what it is today.
So thank you.
(audience claps)
- Thank you, Samantha, I'm gonna send you a book.
I know you weren't at the book signing,
but I'm gonna get you one, okay?
Drew's gonna hook us up.
- Yes, I will happily be your liaison.
Thank you, Samantha, for coming on
and sharing such beautiful feelings and words with Hoda.
- Thank you so much.
Thank you, Hoda, for everything you do.
We love you. - Thank you, Samantha,
for what you just did, wow.
Love you, thank you, Drew.
- I love you so much.
And I'm gonna love up on you every morning,
because you know what?
Also, this is something I've been telling myself recently.
And until I got your book,
I was searching for like poem a day
on apps and it was sort of working, but it wasn't.
I asked myself, please don't look at your phone
first thing in the morning anymore.
- Yes.
- That cannot be your first thing.
You have found the solve and the answer
to a more spiritual open-minded, better-intended life.
And this really is important.
- Thank you, Drew.
- Thank you, Hoda, thank you so much.
(upbeat music)