From Paradise to Home via Oprah by Meredith Lee

Our good friend, Meredith Lee, may not be an official Ultimate Viewer but Oprah had — and continues to have — a huge impact on her. Oprah inspired her to make the most important move — literally — of her life, and Meredith, recently diagnosed with breast cancer, is paying it forward by inspiring others to fight for their own lives. Meredith, you go, girl!

Nineteen years ago I moved to Ft. Lauderdale on a friend’s suggestion.  She said it was like “Paradise.” Within three days, I secured a great job in a beautiful five star resort by the intercostal waterway, moved into a cute little apartment on a canal and bought a car.  It really did seem like paradise — until three months later when I was leaving work one night to get to my car and was the victim of a random assault.

Aggravated battery erased any resemblance of this city to “Paradise” for me. In fact, it had become the opposite, and I wanted more than anything to go live somewhere else but I had used up all my money moving to “Paradise.”  I stayed there uneasily for two uncomfortable years until I saw an Oprah show in which her guest had written a book, The Best Places to Live in America. I was riveted. She showed a short video clip which featured maybe five seconds about a town called Fountain Hills, Arizona. The words that came across loud and clear to me were, “…with a nearly zero crime rate.” I said out loud, “That’s where I want to live.”

Three weeks later, with my boyfriend in tow, I was living in Fountain Hills. It meant a lot to me that he had taken me seriously. We enjoyed the drive across the country even though we got a flat on every tire at least once during the long journey. The day we arrived, it was 107 degrees Fahrenheit. I thought I had made the mistake of my life. It was an extremely “dry heat,” an expression that Arizonians – one of which I am proudly now – find hilarious.

I love the wildlife and natural beauty here in Arizona. We are often delighted by javelinas, roadrunners, and a host of cacti, bugs and raptors. This is Paradise to me. I feel safe and secure, and have never looked back.

I thank Oprah every day for inspiring me to make the move. One trusted woman completely changed my life.

I have come to realize the importance of inspiration and change on an even deeper level as I embark on a whole new journey myself. In January I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I know, though, that I am a fierce warrior and now understand that I was put on earth to inspire others to fight this disease and never give up.

Thank you, Oprah. I’m sorry I never did get to tell you how much you changed my life.