"Great things are coming!"

Good things come to those who wait, and few appreciate that adage more than two-time Emmy Award-winning television host Tamron Hall. Married in her 40s, Tamron never imagined she'd become a mother at age 48.

- Deborah Evans Price

And after decades of being a beloved staple on NBC News, MSNBC and Today, she launched her own syndicated talk show and became the host of Investigation Discovery's Deadline: Crime. But now she's taken on her biggest challenge yet: co-writing a cookbook. Here, how gratitude and speaking up are helping Tamron find her happiest ever-after

Tamron Hall has rarely faced a challenge she hasn’t been able to meet, excelling in her career in broadcast journalism. But the native Texan admits she was surprised by her latest achievement as co-author of A Confident Cook: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure Fun in the Kitchen. “At age 50+, I was stunned to fall in love with cooking—something I dreaded most of my adult life,” Tamron shares with Woman’s World. “My mom is not a cook: My grandmother passed away when my mom was 10, so my grandfather did all the cooking. He worked in the back of a smalltown grocery store as a butcher and barbecue pit master. My earliest food memory was visiting him and eating his cookin’—it was so awesome.”

But after marrying Steven Greener and becoming mom to Moses, now 5, Tamron discovered a new pride in cooking. “I always wanted to be a mom—I just thought it was never going to happen,” the 53-year-old admits. “Now I want to pass on my family recipes and traditions.” Here, how Tamron faces life’s surprises with confidence, calm and a joyful heart.