Can you Trolley on Over to the "Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood?"

Bill and I are thankful this evening to take in the opening night movie of Mister Rogers "Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" starring Tom Hanks. It was a good movie portraying kindness on another level that Mr. Rogers exuded throughout his lifetime. This was a definite "feel good" movie but had hidden messages in the story line that made it about the human experience and our emotions to that experience told through the story of Lloyd Vogel, a journalist on an assignment to profile Fred Rogers (based on a true story). Raise your hand if you watched his show back in the day?

In writer Jeanne Marie Laskas' review of Mr. Rogers, "Won't You be my Neighbor," in the NYTimes recently, she met Fred Rogers when she was 26 and fresh out of grad school (her Uncle worked with Fred).  Although she didn't know it at the time, Fred Rogers seamlessly taught her a lot about life and the pure human emotions associated with being alive...especially with easily impressionable children. She mentioned that Fred liked to live in the moment - not bringing the baggage from the past, nor the anxiety of the future into his life, his work and his friendships.

Although it was not portrayed in the movie, per se, Ms. Laskas' articulated that Fred told her many things in life involve giving and receiving. "It's so very hard, receiving," he said. When you give something, you're in much greater control. But when you receive something, you're so vulnerable. I think the greatest gift you can ever give is an honest receiving of what a person has to offer." 

To wrap up the movie without giving it all away, is Fred Rogers favorite quote: "What is essential is invisible to the eyes," from Saint - Exupéry's "The Little Prince." What is essential about you that is invisible to the eyes?"

BSoleille! The bright side of "It's you I like." Fred Rogers

Terri