At the beginning of each episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Mister Rogers would begin by asking his viewers, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” The longstanding children’s show was a favorite of my parents when they were children, and later reruns of the series became one of mine when I was growing up. Through chats with the friendly neighborhood policeman, Officer Clemmons. and the postman, Mr. McFeely, and trips to the neighborhood of make-believe with Daniel the tiger and King Friday generations of kids were taught countless lessons. Perhaps the most important ones of these are the value of emotions and the importance of unconditional neighborly love whether a neighbor is near or far away.
Rogers, rather than avoiding these emotions, would address them either through himself or through the help of his characters and would end his message each time with the comforting assurance of “No matter what, I like you just as you are.”
As news broke this week of a fatal shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Rogers’ hometown of Pittsburgh, the all-too-familiar feelings of anger and disbelief came as they have with the other 296 mass shootings in the United States that have happened so far this year. Mister Rogers’ real- life former home is located in Squirrel Hill just a few blocks away. The synagogue was in his neighborhood.
I was recently reminded of a song from the show. It begins, “What do you do with the mad that you feel when you feel so mad you could bite? When the whole wide world seems oh-sowrong and nothing you do seems very right?” It is easy to feel hopelessness in the wake of violence as it becomes increasingly more prevalent and more innocent lives are lost when hate infiltrates communities of love. Mister Rogers ends the song saying, “I know that the feeling is really mine, know that there’s something deep inside that helps us become what we can.”
In the days ahead, we can embrace these emotions. We can feel angry, we can feel hopeless, but then we must decide to respond with acts of compassion. Whether hateful acts happen in our own geographical neighborhoods or in a wider sense, we have the opportunity to counteract these acts in even small ways. Find small ways to show the people in your life that you love them; volunteer within your community or help a neighbor in need.
Over the years Mister Rogers never shied away from a difficult conversation. The show covered topics such as death, grieving, and divorce. Throughout it all, he encouraged viewers to grieve and emphasized that it is important to come together with others who are grieving.
By sharing these feelings during times of hardship and hopelessness, we are able to relate and unite with one another in meaningful ways. By being vulnerable, we can grow closer.
In order to do good, we must also remain hopeful. Rogers once said that when he was young, during difficult times, his mother would tell him, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” As difficult as it may be, try to give less attention to those who have committed the atrocity and look instead for those around who are doing things for good.
Going forward, we must embrace our feelings and let them help us become what we can be, both as individuals and as a nation. We must try to become a nation that strives to show compassionate, neighborly love in the face of hatred no matter who you are or who your neighbor may be.
