Mr. Rogers grace exists
in miniature cities of kindness,
the tranquil tones of forgiveness,
level to the eye of a single frighten child.
For him, and in that moment,
that child is the most precious
thing in the world.
He blesses them with positive ways
of dealing with their feelings;
the benediction of accepting them
for exactly who they are;
even when everything doesn’t
go exactly the way they hoped,
shows them how to smooth the
dissonance into a beautiful inner music;
store up the blessings
of an ordinary day;
love the ratty, special toy,
even as it grows old;
to know with absolute firmness,
as parents, that anything
mentionable is manageable
and to be human-
and that’s ok.
