Hubby and I had a much-needed date night tonight and I’m feeling so much better. We needed the alone time for sure. We went to see A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and it was so good. I usually avoid all together movies that I know are going to make me cry (well, almost every movie makes me cry at some point, but like, if I see “heart-warming” or “inspirational” or anything like that in a trailer, I’m out), but I had to see this movie. I loved Mr. Rogers growing up, and, hello, it’s Tom Hanks.. what’s not to love? I went in knowing that I would probably be ugly crying throughout the whole thing, so I was emotionally prepared. But, I made it like 2/3 of the movie without crying, and I thought I was doing good. Ugh, that last third will get you, watcher beware. Men crying make me cry, and that happened, so… cue the waterworks.

I haven’t really researched Fred Rogers’ life, so I don’t know exactly how accurate some of the things in the movie were, but there were several things that stuck out to me. [Stop here to avoid spoilers!] The man that’s interviewing Mr. Rogers asks him repeatedly how he handles the burden of knowing other people’s problems, and he answers with things from his show – pounding clay, playing all the low notes on the piano at once, etc. Mrs. Rogers tells him later that Fred reads scripture and prays for people by name, that he practices healthy ways to manage his feelings daily, so that he can better handle himself when things get overwhelming. What a concept. I know I’m guilty of either not caring enough about someone, because I don’t want the accompanying emotional burden, or caring but holding onto that burden until the weight of it almost breaks me. We were made to love each other. We were made to care for each other. We were made to carry one another’s burdens, but we don’t have to carry them alone or forever. We can hand them to God, knowing that He can carry anything we give Him and infinitely more.

What if we genuinely cared for people so much that we specifically prayed for them by name, that we went to God on behalf of, not just the people we see every day, but all the people that we run into and might never see again? What if we saw people for the souls they are, souls that are experiencing the ups and downs of life just like we are? Mr. Rogers had a heart for people, just as Jesus calls us to do. We could definitely all take some notes.

Another thing that stuck out to me was how present he was in each moment. Whoever he was talking to at the time was his sole focus. He told the reporter on the phone that talking to him was the most important thing he was doing in that moment. So very often, I glaze over as I go through moments. I pay just enough attention to respond. I let thoughts of what I need to do next distract my attention from what’s happening right in front of me. Mr. Rogers seemed to always be completely present, noticing emotional cues and small details about the other person that you could only understand by really focusing on them. I absolutely love that. Giving the person in front of us our full attention is such a simple way of showing God’s love to others. I really could use some work in this department. My introverted self is so focused on getting through a conversation without saying something totally awkward, that I forget about the other person. I’ve got some work to do on my intentional living.

The overall tone of the parts of the movie with Mr. Rogers was patient, calm, caring, and genuine. I couldn’t help but think how he (the real Mr. Rogers) must have shaped a lot of my personality as I was growing up. When I was a kid, I watched a lot of TV (I played a lot too…). I had my routine, certain things that I absolutely had to watch when they came on every day. Mr. Rogers was definitely one of those shows. Every day, I would watch this sweet man talk about feelings and how to handle them properly. As an emotional, sensitive person, that really resonated with me, even as a kid. My other afternoon PBS must-watch was the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross. I loved how quiet and calm he was, and how he could always take a mistake and make it into something beautiful anyway. These two calm, sensitive men were a big part of my childhood and I honestly think they shaped my personality. As I’ve grown older, I’ve actually gotten more outspoken (if you know me, I know that’s hard to believe), so much more cynical, and a lot more impatient. Watching that movie made me remember how I used to be, and how far I’ve come (good and not so good). It made me remember to slow down, and remember to enjoy moments as they happen.

So, I highly recommend the movie if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s emotional, for sure, but man does it make you think. Plus, the nostalgia alone is totally worth it. On a related note – as I said, I usually try to steer clear of these kinds of movies, but there have been a couple of others that I’ve seen fairly recently that I recommend as well: Saving Mr. Banks was so good, as well as Christopher Robin. Bring a tissue. They’ll break your heart, but put it back together by the end. On the other hand, do not watch Wind River, whatever you do. It’s not worth the emotional trauma. It’s just not. I thought, “I like Jeremy Renner, it got pretty good reviews, this will be good.” Just don’t. It’s not a bad movie, but, ugh, is it so very sad.

I’m thankful for date nights where we can just focus on each other. I told hubby yesterday that a lot of times I’m so focused on being a mother, that I forget to be a wife as well. Having time to refocus on him and our relationship as husband and wife is just what I need from time to time.