After spending 17 years as a co-host on the “Today” show, Hoda Kotb made the emotional decision to step away from her role to prioritize her family. 

While she anticipated that the transition would be significant, she never quite expected the mix of emotions that came with her first day of retirement.

Kotb, 60, reflected on her first morning away from the show while attending a Runway for Recovery event, which supports breast cancer survivors. 

She admitted that the uncertainty of what her daily life would look like without the structured schedule of morning television made her a bit anxious.

“When you leave something that you’ve done your whole life to then step into a Monday, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, it’s Monday. What is happening here? 

How is this going to feel?’” Kotb shared. To help ease into this new phase, she decided to create a schedule for herself to ensure that she had things to look forward to.

Kotb made the difficult choice to retire in order to spend more time with her daughters, Haley Joy, 9, and Hope Catherine, 5. Despite her initial uncertainty, she quickly found reassurance that she had made the right decision, thanks to a heartfelt moment with her oldest daughter.

“The best thing happened first thing in the morning,” she recalled. “I was sitting in my office, and my daughter Haley came running down the stairs. It was a full moon, and I remember how bright it was in my office. She looked at me and said, ‘You really are here.’ I was like, ‘I really am here.’”

That single moment of realization set the tone for Kotb’s new routine. As the morning continued, another touching interaction further solidified her confidence in her choice. She visited her younger daughter’s room, where Hope had only one simple request.

“She looked at me and said one word: ‘Snuggle?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ So I crawled in bed with her. That was it.”

For Kotb, this transition is all about embracing the small, everyday moments that she previously missed due to her demanding career. “Life is about tiny little moments,” she explained. “It’s about the in-betweens. It’s not about all the big things—it’s all the little things.”

Now, Kotb is savoring her new lifestyle, which includes sleeping in a little longer, having breakfast with her children, and walking them to school. “I walk with 10 kids and a couple of moms, and I think, ‘This is awesome.’ I’m in my sweats, I have my coffee, and I’m really into it.”

Although she’s stepped away from the “Today” show, Kotb remains one of its most enthusiastic supporters. She still tunes in every morning and continues to cheer on her former colleagues. “I’m high-fiving, texting, and calling,” she said, emphasizing that the bonds she built with her co-hosts remain strong. “They’re like, ‘What can we do? When do you need me?’ They are here for my next great adventure.”

Kotb describes this new chapter of her life as “fresh” and “like a new dawning.” And while retirement has given her time to focus on her family, she is already gearing up for an exciting new project. She hinted at an upcoming initiative focused on wellness, set to launch in May.

“I’m going to be doing a huge dive into wellness,” she revealed. “We’re launching something soon, and I am not sleeping—I’m so excited about it.”

As Kotb embraces this new phase, she remains grateful for the career that brought her so much joy and the opportunities that lie ahead. With a renewed focus on family and well-being, she is stepping into her next adventure with enthusiasm and purpose.

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