It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood.

In times of gut wrenching emotional turmoil in my life, my mom and I traded inspirational quotes of the day….thoughts which resonated in our minds for mere seconds. Sometimes we’d discuss the day’s inspiration over the course of a few emails, promising to remember and apply it over the arduous hours, days, and weeks to come. Realistically, such a task becomes difficult in a society bombarded by tens of thousands of distractions in any given period of time. But I suppose the point is in the process of pondering and retaining that which is applicable to yours or another’s life. So today, Monday, the morning dreaded by many as many return to the doldrums of nine to fives, I present wise words from a great man whose spirit has touched and will continue to touch the lives of millions for years to come.

From The World According to Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers (given to me as a gift by a lovely friend and neighbor)

“You don’t ever have to do anything sensational for people to love you. When I say, ‘It’s you I like,’ I’m talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch….that part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive: love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed.
So in all that you do in all of your life, I wish you the strength and the grace to make those choices which will allow you and your neighbor to become the best of whoever you are.”

..iamjobe.