One Minute, I'll Watch the Time
“Won’t you be my neighbor. I suppose it’s an
invitation for someone to be close to you.”
Fred Rogers
I went to see this movie a
few weeks ago. I wanted to see it because I have warm fuzzy feelings about Mr.
Rogers. I remember being young and watching the show. My sister loved Sesame
Street, but I liked Mr. Rogers. She thought it was too slow and dull. I
probably couldn’t have told you why I liked it, but what I used to say is it
told a complete story. I think it probably connected with me on an emotional
level because it dealt with the big questions of the day. It dealt with hard
issues and didn’t shy away from giving children skills to cope with the
difficulties of life. As a kid who was always interested in big questions, who
was interested in making the world a better place, Mr. Rogers spoke to my soul.
So when I watched the trailer
(Won't You Be My Neighbor), I teared up at the
quote about being a neighbor is an invitation for people to get close.
Fred lived his Christian
faith in everything he did and said. You can see the impact on the care he took
for the lives of the children in his care and the desire to create a world of
kindness and welcome, a world of acceptance and neighborliness. I was really
touched by the ending of the film. They decided to end the film the way Fred
ended any public speaking engagements he was invited to (even at the Emmy Award
Acceptance):
Beside my chair in my office is a framed piece of
calligraphy with a sentence from Saint Exupery's book, The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince). It reads: "L'essentiel est invisible pour les
yeux." ("What is essential is invisible to the eye.") I feel the
closer we get to knowing and living the truth of that sentence, the closer we
get to wisdom.
What is essential about you that is invisible to
the eye? And who are those who have helped you become who you are today?
Anyone who has ever graduated from a university,
anyone who has ever been able to sustain a good work has had at least one person
- and often many - who believed in him or her. We just don't get to be
competent human beings without many different investments from others.
I'd like to give you all an invisible gift; a gift
of silence to think about those who nourish you at the deepest part of your
being - anyone who has ever loved you and wanted what was best for you in life.
Some of those people may be right here today. Some may be far away, some may
even be in heaven; but if they've encouraged you to come closer to what you
know to be essential about life, I'd like you to have a silent minute to think
of them. One minute: I'll watch the time. Marquette
University 2001 Commencement
The director asks
each one of those who spoke to think of someone. You see the tears form in
their eyes as they think of these people, the person who helped them become who
they are, who held space for them to flourish, who was the neighbor they needed.
I want you to take a moment. I want you to stop now and think about those who
cared about you and helped you to become the person you are. One minute. I’ll
watch the time.
Comments
Post a Comment