Savannah Guthrie says, "I cry every morning," as she returns to 'Today' amid mother Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

Savannah Guthrie opened up about the emotional difficulty of returning to work on 'Today' as her mother Nancy Guthrie continues to be missing. She got visibly emotional while speaking candidly about how she has been managing since coming back, addressing both the pain of her mother's disappearance and the unexpected comfort she has found in returning to the studio.Guthrie subbed in for Sheinelle Jones on the fourth hour of the morning programme alongside Jenna Bush Hager, where she spoke openly about her struggles. "I can't really even look at you every day without crying," Guthrie told Bush Hager. "You are my best friend and you know it's really hard to come back. I've been trying so hard to hold it together, and I promise I will."Guthrie was candid about how much her friendship with Bush Hager means to her during this period, and how being on the show offers a small but meaningful sense of normalcy. "When I see you in the morning, I know that you see me, no matter what is going on. Sometimes, that's almost too much because I feel like to do the job, I gotta keep it together. But I'm happy to be back and it's like two hours of my day that, it's not that I'm not thinking about it, because I am, but it's something to do. It brings me a lot of joy to be with everybody. It's not easy," she said.She also spoke about what keeps her going, crediting her mother's own spirit as part of her motivation. "My mom would've said the same: 'just keep going, just keep going.' And it's hard when you're with your best friend to not be real," she said, describing the show as offering a "little respite."Guthrie was quick to address any perception that returning to work meant she had moved on from her mother's disappearance. "I know maybe people wonder, like, 'Whoa, what's going on? How is she able to do that job? Is she not thinking about it? Did she forget? No, never, never," she said firmly.She described the grief as a constant presence in her daily life. "It's always with me. I cry every morning on the way to work, and I cry every morning on the way home. I'm grateful to have good friends, and to be able to come to such a beautiful, joyous, and supportive place, and like so many people out there, you can hold all of these things together."She also shared the message she had been passing on to her own children during this time. "I try to tell my kids that, too. We can hold our sadness and we can hold our joy, and if you don't believe it, just watch me. I'm going to show you," she said.'Today' airs weekday mornings on NBC, with the fourth hour starting at 10 a.m. ET.