Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Mr. Rogers' Helpers


Day 317
Like the rest of the nation, my thoughts find themselves in Sandy Hook.

Mr. Rogers said it best.  "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.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world."

I think of the twenty children who died that day and want to do something to honor them.  I want to remember the brave teachers who hid children in locked closets and bathrooms and kept their fears at bay by reading stories.  I imagine their forced cheerfulness and singsong voices that masked their own fear.  I want to honor these heroes, too. 

I purchase twenty children’s books and donate them to a local pediatric clinic. 


I want to remember.  I want to be one of Mr. Rogers' helpers.  

9 comments:

  1. Crying. That's an amazing lesson. If we can look around the edges of a dark time there really are always helpers, those ready to be the silver lining.

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    1. At this time I've chosen to not share the news of the shooting with the boys. I rehearsed what I'd say in my head but couldn't seem to make it through the whole speech without crying. My friend thinks kids will be talking about it at school so I'm preparing myself to answer questions when the time comes. I'm looking to Mr. Rogers for guidance.

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  2. What a PERFECT way to honor these children. I shared that Mr. Roger's quote over the weekend because it absolutely says everything about this tragedy, especially. And those teachers are heroes.

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    1. When Mr. Rogers passed away a few years back, I remember watching Katie Couric share a video montage on the Today show of him and several special needs kids. It was the most heart warming thing I've ever seen on television.

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  3. What a great idea for a blog! When I arrived I instantly thought of the cover jacket photo for the Ann Voskamp book. Was that intentional? It should be because your post is insightful and thoughtful, as is her writing!

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    1. It's been a great year! My boys keep asking what we're doing next year. I looked up Ann Voskamp's book jacket and it does look nearly identical! Who knew? Thanks for your nice comments and please visit again!

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  4. I love this. It's the perfect response. I wish I'd known of Mr. Roger's words when my children were growing up. I had to stick with my dad's old standby when I'd see frightening things on the news: "It hardly ever happens. If it happened all the time, it wouldn't be no the news." It sounds a little lame, but it helped me when I saw things like plane crashes and house fires on the news and had nightmares. I like Mr. Roger's sentiment better.

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    1. I spent several years as a reporter covering local news for a NBC station in Alabama. I used to think "it doesn't happen here" but after seeing the darker side of life, I think things happen everywhere. Just not to the same degree. I left reporting because I found it terribly depressing. I didn't want to live life always looking for what was wrong instead of what was right.

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  5. What a wonderful idea!! Mr. Rogers is full of incredible wisdom, isn't he? I'm glad I found your blog - thanks for stopping by mine!

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