How Whoopi Goldberg Discovered Tranquility After Losing Her Life's 'Center'
Whoopi Goldberg comprehends the importance of articulating every sentiment to cherished ones. This philosophy has subtly guided her through the grieving process for her mother, Emma Johnson, who passed away 14 years ago following a stroke. It has also shaped Goldberg’s understanding of her delayed acceptance of this profound loss.
Initially, Goldberg questioned her own response to mourning, as she confided to Anderson Cooper on his podcast "All There Is," where they delved into the intricacies of grief. Not that there exists a singular method to grieve loved ones, yet Goldberg sensed her approach was atypical.
"I couldn't fathom why I wasn't more shattered," she confessed. However, just days before her conversation with Cooper, clarity dawned upon her. "We left nothing unspoken, so there was no turmoil to unearth," Goldberg remarked about her mother. In contrast to cinematic portrayals of grief, her reality was different. "You knew I adored you, you were my life's nucleus," she recounted saying to her mother frequently, as she did with her brother.
Her brother, Clyde Johnson, departed five years post their mother’s passing, leaving Goldberg alone in her immediate family. "Nothing quite prepares you for solitary existence," she later reflected. Part of her insight traces back to a childhood lesson when her mother, a woman of self-assuredness and indifference to others' opinions, spent two years in Bellevue Hospital for mental health treatment. Upon her return, she initially failed to recognize Goldberg and her brother.
With time, Goldberg gained perspective on how this experience molded her worldview. Her mother’s hospital stint, she noted, "was perhaps the most beneficial thing for me, as it instilled in me the impermanence of everything." This realization enabled her to evolve her mindset.
Despite her matured outlook, life without her mother and brother hasn’t been devoid of obstacles. As a mother and grandmother herself, Goldberg admitted to Cooper that her brother’s death left her feeling isolated. The question of "why did you leave me? We were three," repeatedly haunted her, intensifying her loneliness amid grief. At one point, she confessed to considering her own departure but was anchored by the thought of her daughter, deciding "not to."
Now, Goldberg navigates a phase of grief focused on rediscovering joy. Part of this journey involves keeping her mother’s essence vibrant. "If I can embody even half of who she was, I’ll feel I’ve honored her in the way I aspire to," Goldberg remarked, acknowledging her mother as a true beacon of light.