“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Fred Rogers
I loved Mr. Rogers when I was a child!
Probably because I felt that he cared about me and loved me unconditionally even though we never met in person. (Isn’t it amazing that thousands of children had an experience with Real Love by watching his show!?)
If you had the privilege of spending time with Mr. Rogers, do you remember what might be called his Real Love song?
“It’s you I like.
It’s not the things you wear.
It’s not the way you do your hair,
But it’s you I like.
The way you are right now.
The way down deep inside you,
Not the things that hide you.
It’s you I like.
Every part of you, your skin your eyes your feelings whether old or new.
I hope that you remember, even when you’re feeling blue,
That it’s you I like, you yourself.
It’s you I like.”
Today, as we’re moving through some novel experiences with our families and our neighbors, it seems important that we and our children and friends, know that we can manage our experiences by expressing our feelings, which philosophy is one of the hallmarks of Fred Roger’s legacy.
In the motion picture, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Mr. Rogers says, and I paraphrase,
“If a topic is about being human, then it is worth mentioning. And if we can mention those topics, we can manage our feelings about them.”
That is powerful stuff! (If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it! Be prepared for a psychologically invigorating, touchy-feely, profound story… as you might guess!)
The movie illustrates so well, how we can get into trouble when we don’t talk about our experiences and feelings.
So I ask you, what are you feeling about things in your life right now? And how are your children feeling about what they are experiencing?
If you’re not sure, here’s a challenge:
Spend some time getting to know the answers to these questions! Remember, we can discover and share our feelings with those wise men and wise women in our lives who love us not matter what, and who kindly, gently and respectfully tell us the truth.
And then, in fullness and love, we can be a calm and comforting place for our children to express what they are feeling, and together we can manage those feelings. When asked what Mr. Rogers would say during other crisis situations, the spokesperson from the Fred Rogers Center responded, “…he would encourage us to be good neighbors and help the children in our lives to feel safe.”
(In the 7 Steps to Family Wellness Seminar last week, we had a great discussion about the new challenges that have appeared in the last two weeks and what to do to find peace. Thank you Lionesses!)
If you are ready for some Lioness coaching, please reach out! I would love to help.
It’s you I like.
And I know that by caring for yourself and your family, you are doing great things! The most important things!
“It’s not the honors and prizes and the fancy outsides of our lives which ultimately nourish our souls. It’s the knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear the truth, that the bedrock of our lives from which we make our choices is very good stuff.” Fred Rogers, Dartmouth Commencement Speech 2002
Be well!
Love,
The mission of Lioness at the Door is to uplift, strengthen and encourage women of all ages to magnify health, hope and happiness at home. We do so boldly, with humility and gratitude for the opportunity.