It's not always easy for a father to understand the interests and ways of his son. It seems the songs of our children may be in keys we've never tried. The melody of each generation emerges from all that's gone before. Each one of us contributes in some unique way to the composition of life.

Fred Rogers

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." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.

Fred Rogers

caring mother fear

There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.

Fred Rogers

success thank-you life

If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.

Fred Rogers

uplifting depression motivational

Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else.

Fred Rogers

anti-bullying kids thinking

As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has-or ever will have-something inside that is unique to all time.

Fred Rogers

positive inspirational life

Some days, doing "the best we can" may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn't perfect on any front-and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else.

Fred Rogers

perfect may fall

At the center of the Universe is a loving heart that continues to beat and that wants the best for every person. Anything that we can do to help foster the intellect and spirit and emotional growth of our fellow human beings, that is our job. Those of us who have this particular vision must continue against all odds. Life is for service.

Fred Rogers

emotional heart jobs

You make each day a special day. You know how, by just your being you.

Fred Rogers

each-day special friendship

Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered . . . just one kind word to another person.

Fred Rogers

caring real would-be

When we love a person, we accept him or her exactly as is: the lovely with the unlovely, the strong with the fearful, the true mixed in with the façade, and of course, the only way we can do it is by accepting ourselves that way.

Fred Rogers

lovely strong way

We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say "It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem." Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.

Fred Rogers

responsibility hero children

I recently learned that in an average lifetime a person walks about sixty-five thousand miles. That's two and a half times around the world. I wonder where your steps will take you. I wonder how you'll use the rest of the miles you're given.

Fred Rogers

use average two

I think everybody longs to be loved and longs to know that he or she is lovable and, consequently, the greatest thing that we can do is to help somebody know that they are loved and capable of loving.

Fred Rogers

helping love thinking

A love of learning has a lot to do with learning that we are loved.

Fred Rogers

love-of-learning

Transitions are almost always signs of growth, but they can bring feelings of loss. To get somewhere new, we may have to leave somewhere else behind.

Fred Rogers

somewhere-else loss feelings

The older I get, the more convinced I am that the space between people who are trying their best to understand each other is hallowed ground.

Fred Rogers

space trying people

The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self.

Fred Rogers

generosity self giving

In the external scheme of things, shining moments are as brief as the twinkling of an eye, yet such twinklings are what eternity is made of -- moments when we human beings can say "I love you," "I'm proud of you," "I forgive you," "I'm grateful for you." That's what eternity is made of: invisible imperishable good stuff.

Fred Rogers

grateful eye love-you

What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win too. Even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then.

Fred Rogers

helping-others winning mean

Human relationships are primary in all of living. When the gusty winds blow and shake our lives, if we know that people care about us, we may bend with the wind ... but we won’t break.

Fred Rogers

blow wind people