Welcome to November! This month has been extremely eventful in the U.S. Between the election and the pandemic, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed, and if we aren’t careful we sometimes unintentionally displace those negative emotions onto others in our lives.
However, today—November 13th—is World Kindness Day. In lieu of letting negative feelings run rampant, pause for a moment, close your eyes, and take a *deep* breath in. Consider the many different ways (both big and small) that you can instead try to improve someone’s day. They can be a family member, close friend, coworker, a complete stranger...or, most importantly, yourself! There are many resources available with ideas on how to both promote and celebrate World Kindness Day: the (very aptly named) Random Acts of Kindness Foundation and Inspire Kindness are two good starting points.
For a source of inspiration closer to home, there’s no better role model than Pennsylvania native Fred Rogers. Technically, PA honors America’s favorite neighbor on May 23rd, the 143rd day of the year. Based on his favorite number (143 refers to the number of letters in the words "I Love You"), 1-4-3 Day is a statewide day of kindness—a regional version of World Kindness Day. For that reason, we think Mister Rogers’ words are just as valuable and worth your time today.
Published in 2019, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” is a collection of 75 songs from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “The Children's Corner,” with beautiful accompanying illustrations by Luke Flowers. We were delighted to work with our frequent client Quirk Books to make the trailer for this book: we combined live action and motion graphics with the show’s iconic tone of gentle whimsy and timeless good nature.
The purpose of World Kindness Day, 1-4-3 Day, the classic television series, and this collection of poetry is all perfectly outlined in the book’s description:
“Mister Rogers instilled in his young viewers the values of kindness, self-awareness, and self-esteem. But most of all, he taught children that they are loved, just as they are. Perfect for bedtime, sing-along, or quiet time alone, this beautiful book of meaningful poetry is for every child—including the child inside of every one of us.”