Every morning, I begin my day with Betty Ford.
There is a small book I keep in my bedroom – a reading a day, written specifically for women. It's called Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women, from the legendary meditation series published today by Betty's own beloved recovery center.
Betty gave it to me, signed, in 1989, when I interviewed her for a television hour on addiction. "This is a really important book to me," she said, "and I wanted to share it with you."
I have read from it nearly every morning since. For more than 35 years, one of the first voices of my day has been hers. This essay is my chance to tell you why.
When I think of Betty Ford, I think of how brave she was. How brave she was to step forward at a time when people did not openly discuss addiction. How brave she was to be openly vulnerable when almost no one was. How brave she was to say out loud that she had failed in her life – that she had not met her moments.
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