Amy Hollingsworth has written a need-to-read book, The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers. Early in the book, this comment from Fred Rogers himself: "For me, being quiet and slow is being myself, and that is my gift."

One expression of that gift came when Mister Rogers stood before 5,000 cheering graduates at the Boston University commencement in 1992, and said very quietly, "You wanna sing with me?" Then motioning them to be seated he spoke again: "Why don't you just sit down, and we'll sing this song together." And then he led all 5,000 in a rendition of It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. One observer said that everyone knew the song, and "waves of red robes swayed side to side, arms intertwined, subdued by the sense of security and ritual that Mister Rogers had always given them." Graduates, singing what they learned from Mister Rogers when they were two or three. It gives you an idea of what a good song can do.

The other day ...