Inspiring Women Luncheon

I had the opportunity to meet Cokie Roberts, one of my role models, being honored at the Inspiring Women Luncheon in Chicago.

Cokie was extremely kind and genuine, and obviously brilliant. Her acceptance speech was one of the most compelling and well thought keynotes I have heard. She was able to weave in stories of women’s history making it relevant to where we are today.

We were able to speak for about 10 minutes prior to the luncheon. Somehow we ended up talking about what it means to be happy. And she taught me a valuable lesson. She said, “You know we talk about how to be happy, but that is a very privileged problem. Tell that to the person who is trying to have enough food, or is living in a war zone.”

I was amazed at how grounded she is. With all of her success, she remains compassionate and is committed to making the world a better place. It was a thrill to spend some time with her.

About Cokie Roberts
Cokie Roberts is a senior news analyst for NPR News, where she was the congressional correspondent for more than 10 years. In addition to her work for NPR, Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News, providing analysis for all network news programming.

From 1996-2002 she and Sam Donaldson co-anchored the weekly ABC interview program This Week. In her more than 40 years in broadcasting, she has won countless awards, including three Emmys. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the fifty greatest women in the history of broadcasting.