Loving

"All of us have special ones who have loved us into being..." - Mr. Fred Rogers

In 1997, Mr. Rogers won a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award. During his acceptance speech, he started by talked about the people that helped him get to that moment. He said 'all of us have special ones who have loved us into being....would you just take along with me 10 seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are? Those who have cared about you and wanted what was best for you in life. Ten seconds of silence. I will watch the time..." Initially there is a little laughter but then quiet. People in the audience are crying.

When I think about my life, there are so many good people on that list - funnily enough many of them were neighbors. It really is a never ending gratitude list. I carry guilt over the ones that I never thanked. I do measure my selfishness or life failures against their kindness. As I write this, I know that is not what they would have wanted me to do. I cannot change the past, but I can ask myself for this one day 'where can I be loving? Where can I be kind? Where can I carry it forward?'