Katie Couric: A Time to Heal (page 2 of 2)

Born on a Sunny Day

RD: Any plans for you to go to Iraq this time around? You went during the Persian Gulf War.
Couric: Twice. That was in my younger days. Now I just wouldn't risk it. It's too dangerous. I'm a single parent. There are things I will not do for my job, and one of them is risk my life.

RD: Tell us about the children's books you've written -- The Brand New Kid and a new one coming out in the fall.
Couric: It's called The Blue Ribbon Day, and features the same protagonists, Ellie and Carrie. Gee, I wonder where I got that from! The first book was about how to embrace somebody who's different. My second -- it's hard, growing up, to accept that you're not good at some things. Sometimes in this day and age parents don't allow their children to fail. They want them to be good at everything. That's a great goal but not necessarily realistic. Sometimes the more important lesson for a child is dealing with disappointment and finding what you're good at.

RD: How do you fit it all in?
Couric: You should talk to women who work seven in the morning till nine at night, and don't have help and take their kids to day care and come home, cook dinner. I'm lucky because I can afford to have a fantastic nanny and someone who helps me around the house. We're like our own little unit. It's not like I'm so stressed out.

RD: Do you ever just want to not work?
Couric: I would love it for a few weeks, but I think I would absolutely go crazy. I'm one of those people who thrive under pressure. I could never be somebody who plays tennis and meets somebody for lunch and does charity work.

RD: Are you an overachiever?
Couric: I'm a person who likes to stay busy. I have a hard time relaxing, which is a problem. I need to work on that.

RD: What will your next act be?
Couric: I wish I knew. At some point, I'm going to want a new challenge. But it's hard, when you love your job so much, to think about a) giving it up and b) what's next. I do want to make sure that I'm out there doing some good in the world.

RD: What about politics?
Couric: No. I have too many skeletons in my closet.

RD: Your sister was in politics.
Couric: She was a state senator, the real star in my family. Everybody said she would have been the first female governor of Virginia. She was a very dedicated public servant. But I don't think that's my thing. I have a hard enough time balancing my checkbook, much less balancing a budget.

RD: You got a rather large salary increase recently. Are you still really frugal?
Couric: I still like a bargain, but I'm a little more relaxed about it. My friends will tell you I give much nicer presents now. And I don't necessarily get everything on sale.

RD: You finally realized you had enough money in the bank to cover your kids' college tuitions?
Couric: I think it's fear of being flashy that's kept me from spending money freely. I love nice things, but I try to be smart. Like, an Hermès Birkin bag. I thought, Gosh, I want to buy a nice purse for myself on my birthday. I like that Hermès bag. Then I found out that it was $6,000. There's something about that I find just gross. If that means being frugal, then I guess I am. Having a certain bag or a certain kind of car -- I've always been a bit of a reverse snob in that department. I say to Ellie, who is going through a label phase, the coolest people don't need labels. They make their own style.

RD: Have you always had an upbeat personality?
Couric: Jay used to say I was born on a sunny day, which I thought was the sweetest thing. I'm definitely a glass-half-full person, and I've certainly gone through my share of sadness.

RD: Do you ever feel you've had more than your share of hardship?
Couric: No. There are plenty of people who have had more sadness in their lives than I have. I look at people who have sick children, and I don't know how they get up in the morning. I was always an empathetic person, but going through what I have has made me realize how many challenges people face all the time.

RD: You seem to have fully regained your enthusiasm for life -- you've even gotten back in the dating game. What advice would you give to others who have lost a loved one and are having a hard time moving forward?
Couric: Life is short. Thomas Jefferson said something like, Life is for the living. I think to destroy two lives when one has been tragically taken is just a shame. We're all terminal. I would say, "Try to find love again."

RD: Tom Werner's in L.A. You're in New York. How do you keep a bi-coastal relationship going?
Couric: It's tough. We both have busy lives; we see each other when we can.

RD: Do you see yourself marrying again?
Couric: If anyone's the marrying kind, it's me. I hope one day I will. I like the idea of being part of a happy family, but I've made a different kind of family for myself and my girls.

RD: How would they feel about that?
Couric: I feel like they're thriving and will be fine either way, which is a great thing to be able to say. But I think the addition of a strong man to help guide and teach them would be a wonderful thing. We're in a very female-centric home. We have a lot of estrogen floating around our apartment. That's why we got a male dog, because even our hamster was female. But anyway, the girls are doing great, and whatever happens, happens. I try to be sort of Zen-like about it.

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From Reader's Digest - May 2004

 

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