The other day Ruth had a frustrating time in online chats with Bell Mobile employees in which they kept passing the buck -- our bucks -- to others with no resolution. This may come as a shock to you, but phone companies suck. The same day we had a perplexing and upsetting conversation with someone who is near and dear to us , although currently not near, and making the dear part challenging.
As we sat together attempting to keep our heads above the emotional surface I suggested, rather out of the blue, that we watch the first few minutes of the film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks. You probably know that it is about the children's entertainer, Fred Rogers, except that it is really a meditation about forgiveness. In 1998 an investigative reporter named Tom Junod wrote an article about Rogers for Esquire magazine called Can you Say...Hero?
In the film Junod becomes the fictional Lloyd Vogler, and the article is a piece he doesn't want to write. Despite his skepticism he is won over by Fred Rogers who becomes a sort of spiritual guide into compassion and forgiveness. Vogler discovers that Fred prays for others by name, every day, and often asks people to pray for him. Fred Rogers, the ordained Presbyterian minister, is the real deal.
The story is touching and instead of watching for a few minutes we watched the entire film. It lifted our spirits and made us feel more hopeful. Heroes can do that, and so can forgiveness.
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