The 59-year-old host had her podcast guest, Erin Andrews, in tears as she recalled holding daughter Hope for the first time.
Hoda Kotb crafted a moment to cherish, and the experience was pure magic.
In the latest installment of her podcast, Making Space with Hoda Kotb, the Today co-anchor shares why Taylor Swift's song, "Enchanted," resonated with the poignant memory of holding her now 4-year-old daughter, Hope, for the first time.
Speaking to Fox NFL reporter Erin Andrews on the podcast's Nov. 22 episode, Hoda recounts the emotional connection.
As the song played and Hoda gazed at Hope, the flood of emotions overwhelmed her. "I'm looking at Hope, and she's looking at me, and the song comes on, and all of a sudden, I get..." Hoda begins before Erin interrupts with, "I'm crying."
Undeterred, Hoda continues, "I go, 'Hope, you know what this is reminding me of?' And she goes, 'Your eyes are wet.' I go, 'Enchanted to meet you.'"
The term "enchanted" echoes Swift's lyrics, and Hoda realizes the profound significance of the moment. "I go, 'Hopey, the first time you were placed in my arms, I realized that’s the word,'" explains Hoda, who adopted Hope in 2019.
Hope's curiosity prompted her to inquire about the meaning of "enchanted." Hoda fondly recalls their exchange, saying, "I said, 'Enchanted means ... it’s more than delighted. It’s the best, the biggest word.'"
Expressing gratitude for pausing in that moment instead of succumbing to their usual hectic routine, Hoda reflects, "And in that moment, I thought to myself, 'Oh, my God, in two minutes, we made a memory.'" She contrasts this with the usual rush, emphasizing her tendency to say, "'Oh, my God, get this, get your coat, get your coat.' It's just like trying to slow the world down."
After adopting Hope, Hoda joyfully called into Today and shared her experience, tearfully expressing her happiness while being with her new daughter, “I’m feeding her, and I can’t believe it," a tearful Hoda said at the time. “I’m so happy she’s here!”
The significance of naming her daughter, Hope, is a nod to Hoda's journey of wanting a second child. "The name came because there are a lot of women out there who are hoping that their day is coming, too, and I know the feeling of it not happening for a long time," she explained. Hope, as she mentioned on Today, made numerous appearances in her journal during that hopeful period.
In June, Hoda opened up about the moment she found out she was going to be a mom!
The Today host appeared on the Just B With Bethenny Frankel podcast and opened up about her adoption journey, which gave her daughters, Haley, 6, and Hope, 3.
Hoda said ahead of welcoming her daughter Haley, she was afraid and ashamed to admit that she was hesitant to express her desire to be a mother because she felt it was too late.
"I remember never saying out loud that I wanted kids, never, because it was too late," she shared. "For girls that it's too late for, you don't say it because if you say it, you're expressing something that you're never going to get."
Hoda explained that shortly after realizing that it would never be too late for her, she kept seeing signs that reassured her that motherhood was still in the stars. So, she decided to go to the adoption agency and take the steps.
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