Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!

Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope today’s newsletter will bounce us up as we contemplate the upsides and challenges of being neurodivergent, a little beauty, some creativity, and just general yeehawesomeness.

Table of Contents

• Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!

  • Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope t …

• Turning 50?

  • Ms. Rogers

    • Yeehawesome!

  • Wonderful Wednesday

  • Today’s Beany-full Summary:

Turning 50?

Not me! (Not quite yet.)

Did I grab your attention?

(Mom and Dad, don’t worry—you didn’t forget my age.)

50!!!

I now have 50 subscribers, y’all!

Thank you to all of you for subscribing, for following along on my neurospicy rollerskating road, for your sweet and encouraging feedback, and for asking questions.

I appreciate it all. I appreciate you all.

50!

Arigato gozaimasu. Really and truly and spicily.

Ms. Rogers

Just call me Abigail Munday Rogers.

I think we all wish Mr. Rogers was our long-lost cousin, right?

Fred McFeely Rogers was a beautiful, beautiful man who exemplified the love of Jesus on his PBS show for kids (and big kids), Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. He didn’t preach the gospel with super-religious words or rules or sanctimoniousness, but with his demeanor, his gentleness, his kindness, and his shining smile.

(Did you know that he was an ordained minister?)

Mr. Rogers made all of us feel treasured.

He’s a spiritual hero of mine. I’ve read a book or two about him, seen the Tom Hanks movie, absorbed all the quotes and memes. Mr. Rogers is trendy again, but I don’t think he ever cared one way or another about being popular.

Fred wasn’t perfect, but he continually worked at listening and caring for others, looking out for our emotional and mental health. He told us to look for the helpers in the midst of tragedies.

Mr. Rogers also said, “Our society is much more interested in information than wonder, in noise rather than silence...And I feel that we need a lot more wonder and a lot more silence in our lives."

And, “The kingdom of God is for the brokenhearted.” (Fred was bullied as a child.)

Also, “We all have different gifts, so we all have different ways of saying to the world who we are.”

(Here are 45 of his most famous quotes if you need more, as I do.)

Multiple sources have said autistic kids connect with Mr. Rogers (and dare I say, autistic adults too), including this article from Psychology Today.

I think about him (probably almost) every day—not because I ever knew him personally, but because he gave me permission to be calm. (That’s hard with a jumping-bean brain, let me tell you.)

When Mr. Rogers comes to my mind most often is when I get home from somewhere and I immediately take off my shoes (par for the course for my family of origin in Florida—yeah, we were odd in that way—and for living in Japan), sometimes change my clothes to more comfy ones, take off my jewelry, and put on my softest cardigan (thanks, Krystal, for leaving it for me when you moved back to the US).

I wish I could have met Mr. Rogers. I’m thankful for his legacy of peace and joy.

When I think of him I smile, and my multifaceted neurodivergent brain knows it’s OK. I’m OK. I’m liked just the way I am.

Yeehawesome!

Yeehawesome! is a happy-brain roundup in each issue of Beany Brain. What’s happening that’s good in brain land? What’s bringing me joy?

1. A lot of people play Wordle and NY Times Connections, as do I, but I also love Wordiply from The Guardian. Try it. You’ll like it. They give you three or four letters and you have to produce words that contain that combination of letters in that order. A happiness boost is coming up with a rare long word!

2. THIS makes me happy—we all need more joy and whimsy! Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff’s parents wrote a sonnet for his 60th birthday; they’re so cute!

3. Dr. Char Goodwin is an autistic doctor in the UK and has had a breast cancer diagnosis herself, so she knows what it’s like to be autistic and a cancer patient. She’s leading a study of autistic folks with cancer to help others who are autistic and have cancer to have the support they need as they are in and out of the hospital. It’s a 3-year study. I admire her for her insights and persistence in carrying out this work, and I think it will have a positive impact for many who are extra uncomfortable with hospital settings.

Beany Brownie Points and Extra Bonus Funniness

Wonderful Wednesday

Wonderful Wednesday was a day once a year in college when they would suddenly and surprisingly call off all classes and we’d play all day. The cafeteria provided special fun food and we’d do stuff outside like slip ‘n slides and jello wrestling in sumo suits. This segment of Beany Brain is dedicated to that memory of silliness and fun—no words, just a photo from the week that I’ve taken or found that reminds me to let the joy in. Since Beany Brain is published on Wednesday every week (at least, Wednesday in Japan), I hope you enjoy this Wonderful Wednesday.

Today’s Beany-full Summary:

• I have 50 subscribers now. Woo-hoooooty-hooooooty-hoot! I love writing this newsletter every week.

• We all need some Mr. Rogers love and quotes in our lives. Who is that person for you? Who is your spiritual hero?

• Go forth in Beany joy. What will help you feel yeehawesome this week?

Thank you for reading this installment of Beany Brain! You’re very welcome to hop on by any old time.

If you’re enjoying Beany Brain, please share with a friend or seventeen at www.beanybrain.com. Cheers big time!