I'm pretty sure Fred Rogers is an ordained minister, but I'm not sure what denomination.

His show can be therapeutic for adults, too, if they are receptive to him and in need of a little quiet-time. Some years back, my wife Barbara was into puppetry, and she used to watch the show. Our local PBS affiliate ran the show twice a day -- 8:00 in the morning, and again at about 5:00 p.m. Sometimes when Barbara came home from work feeling like ripping somebody's head off, she would sit down in front of the TV set and watch Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and a half-hour later, she would be calm and centered. I found that it works for me, too.

A few years back, a local author name Robert Fulgham wrote a book called All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things. Fulgham is a gentle man also. He and Fred Rogers are very much in the same ballpark. Simple stuff that's much too easy to forget.

"These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt someone. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and milk are good for you. . . when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together." -- Robert Fulgham.

"I like you just the way you are." -- Mister Rogers.

A little gentleness never ever hurt anyone.

Don Firth