Sandra Bullock is known for being one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood. However, what many people do not know about her is that her favorite role in life is being a mother to kids Louis, 8, and Laila, 5,

Sandra recently sat down with Today’s Hoda Kotb for an emotional interview in which she opened up about becoming a mother later in life. Sandra explained that she believes that being a mother is her sole purpose in life.

Sandra was already in her forties when she made the decision to adopt a baby after seeing the destruction in New Orleans that was caused by Hurricane Katrina. Though she had thought about adopting for years, this tragedy caused something to click in her mind.

“Something told me that my child was there,” she said as her eyes filled with tears.

It took years for Sandra to get through the adoption process, but she never gave up. When she finally saw Louis, she knew instantly that he was her son.

“I looked at (Louis), and I just said, ‘Oh, there you are.’ It’s like he had always been there,” Sandra explained. “It’s like he fit in the crook of my arm. He looked me in the eyes, and he was just — he was wise. My child was wise. The beautiful thing that I was constantly told was, ‘The perfect child will find you. You will find your child.’”

Hoda told Sandra that the fact that she adopted a child so late inspired her to begin her own adoption journey. Hoda was 52 when she adopted her daughter Haley Joy, in 2017.

“It’s so funny, because without knowing it when you adopted Louis, a lot of people were looking at you,” Hoda said. “I remember, ’cause I was in Rio for the (Olympics) — I’m gonna cry … But I was in Rio, and I was trying to figure out, like, did I miss my window? Am I too late? Should I have … a bunch of woulda-coulda’s. And all the sudden, I Googled you.”

Sandra and Hoda both started to cry as they talked about what their children mean to them.

“I finally realize, ‘Oh, this is what I was supposed to do when I grew up,” Sandra told Hoda. “Not be an actress; to be a mom. … This is my purpose.”

“There are hundreds of thousands of children that are ready to be your child,” Sandra said tearfully. “You’re a forever parent the minute you accept the love of that child. And it’s amazing to me how we can take away people’s happiness by telling them that this is the box that you have to stay in. There is no box.”

Sandra explained that she does not work as much these days because she can’t stand to be away from her children.

“Everything is about them being ok, being in school, having what they need, their moments. I need to be there for every single moment that they have,” she said. “It’s harder for me to leave them than I think it is for them when I leave. I don’t leave that much, and I don’t work that much anymore either. … So my priorities are my kids, my kids, my kids. My family. My family. That’s it.”

Sandra’s story about adopting her children really is inspiring! Check out the emotional interview below, and SHARE this story so your friends and family can see this as well!