Love the bees.
Love the trees.
Love your ears.
Love your tears.
Love your hair.
Love your flair.
Love being kind.
Love using your mind.
Love making art.
Love sharing your heart.
Love yourself.
Love the world!
from Love the World
written and illustrated by Todd Parr
Megan Tingley Books/Little, Brown and Company, 2017
When my girls were young, I watched Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood pretty much every day. Don’t get me wrong, the girls liked it too, but I put it on for me. As I re-learned everything I had forgotten about my childhood, I wondered how many other moms were doing the same thing.
I learned a new perspective, too. For example, when my beautiful baby girl squished the peas I cooked for her and smooshed them around on her highchair tray, I only saw the mess she was making…that I needed to clean up. Her father told me she was learning about the tactile sensations of her world. @#&!
Of course she was, but it took Mr. Rogers to drive it home to me.
Last week, my husband and I and a few friends saw Tom Hanks bring Mr. Rogers to life. For a couple of hours it felt like he was speaking directly to me, helping me re-connect with my child self again.
On February 7, 2017, (see my blog from that date, if you want) I finally succumbed to the overwhelming state of our world since the inauguration, and listed everything troubling me the most, in alphabetical order.
But, after spending those hours in a dark movie theater with Tom Hanks/Fred Rogers, I knew I needed different list.
Even in the chaos, fear, and sadness I find myself in these days, Mr. Rogers reminded me about the very good people doing very good things, still. Here’s what I like most about Mr. Rogers and why he will, on my very best days, always be part of my world, in alphabetical order.
Appreciative
Attentive
Balanced
Calm
Curious
Deliberate
Even-tempered
Friendly
Generous
Gentle
Heroic
Honest
Imaginative
Just
Kind
Loving
Mature
Nurturing
Optimistic
Patient
Perceptive
Playful
Quiet
Relevant
Responsible
Sincere
Talented
Thoughtful
Tolerant, mostly
Truthful
Unique
Unselfish
Valiant
Visionary
Wise
Xenodochial (friendly to strangers) https://adjectivesstarting.com/with-x/ and scroll down a little.
Young-at-heart
Zen
The movie came from an article published in Esquire Magazine in 1998, “Can You Say Hero?” Tom Junod, the real journalist who worked for Esquire penned the article about Fred Rogers. Along the way, he learned a lot about himself, but discovered no difference between the man Fred Rogers and his television personality.
Tom Junod works for The Atlantic, now, and recently tweeted the link to an article he wrote last month (November, 2019) about his friendship with Mr. Rogers that developed over more than two decades. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/what-would-mister-rogers-do/600772/
I always welcome comments. Any additions to my list? Alphabetical or otherwise!
-—stay curious! (and kind)
Love the trees.
Love your ears.
Love your tears.
Love your hair.
Love your flair.
Love being kind.
Love using your mind.
Love making art.
Love sharing your heart.
Love yourself.
Love the world!
from Love the World
written and illustrated by Todd Parr
Megan Tingley Books/Little, Brown and Company, 2017
When my girls were young, I watched Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood pretty much every day. Don’t get me wrong, the girls liked it too, but I put it on for me. As I re-learned everything I had forgotten about my childhood, I wondered how many other moms were doing the same thing.
I learned a new perspective, too. For example, when my beautiful baby girl squished the peas I cooked for her and smooshed them around on her highchair tray, I only saw the mess she was making…that I needed to clean up. Her father told me she was learning about the tactile sensations of her world. @#&!
Of course she was, but it took Mr. Rogers to drive it home to me.
Last week, my husband and I and a few friends saw Tom Hanks bring Mr. Rogers to life. For a couple of hours it felt like he was speaking directly to me, helping me re-connect with my child self again.
On February 7, 2017, (see my blog from that date, if you want) I finally succumbed to the overwhelming state of our world since the inauguration, and listed everything troubling me the most, in alphabetical order.
But, after spending those hours in a dark movie theater with Tom Hanks/Fred Rogers, I knew I needed different list.
Even in the chaos, fear, and sadness I find myself in these days, Mr. Rogers reminded me about the very good people doing very good things, still. Here’s what I like most about Mr. Rogers and why he will, on my very best days, always be part of my world, in alphabetical order.
Appreciative
Attentive
Balanced
Calm
Curious
Deliberate
Even-tempered
Friendly
Generous
Gentle
Heroic
Honest
Imaginative
Just
Kind
Loving
Mature
Nurturing
Optimistic
Patient
Perceptive
Playful
Quiet
Relevant
Responsible
Sincere
Talented
Thoughtful
Tolerant, mostly
Truthful
Unique
Unselfish
Valiant
Visionary
Wise
Xenodochial (friendly to strangers) https://adjectivesstarting.com/with-x/ and scroll down a little.
Young-at-heart
Zen
The movie came from an article published in Esquire Magazine in 1998, “Can You Say Hero?” Tom Junod, the real journalist who worked for Esquire penned the article about Fred Rogers. Along the way, he learned a lot about himself, but discovered no difference between the man Fred Rogers and his television personality.
Tom Junod works for The Atlantic, now, and recently tweeted the link to an article he wrote last month (November, 2019) about his friendship with Mr. Rogers that developed over more than two decades. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/what-would-mister-rogers-do/600772/
I always welcome comments. Any additions to my list? Alphabetical or otherwise!
-—stay curious! (and kind)
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