Boston’s Tragedy

The news this week surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing has mentioned Mister Fred Rogers as a model on dealing with tragedy. Mister Rogers Neighborhood was a touching television show I grew up on, running for more than 30 years on PBS. Mister Rogers said: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

I mentioned this to my 11-year old last night to comfort her worries while we talked about the bombing. She nodded, raised her eyebrows and asked, “Who is Mister Rogers?”

In time, the immediate shock of such a pointlessly violent action like Boston’s tragedy may fade, just like the identity of Mister Rogers is perhaps fading for America’s youth. But the imprint of the good and the bad, the heroes and horrors, tends to remain in our collective conscience. Since there is always bad in the world – and such reminders are sometimes startling – let’s redouble our efforts to be good neighbors and helpers every day.

The staff of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation extends sympathies and prayers for the victims and its deep gratitude to the many helpers in Boston.