One month ago, Elmo, the little red Muppet from the children’s television series Sesame Street, checked in on everyone. “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” was posted on the Sesame Street character’s X account (formerly known as Twitter). The post was seen by millions of people and became the talk of the internet. It was viewed over 200 million times, liked over 165,000 times, and received more than 20,000 comments as of last week.
“Many people who responded explained that they were dealing with difficult issues in their lives”
The comments were overwhelming and ran the gamut from playful and joyous to serious and painful. Many people who responded explained that they were dealing with difficult issues in their lives. The Detroit Free Press, still upset after a major loss to San Francisco, seemed to speak for football fans and ordinary folks, when they wrote: “To be honest, Elmo, we’ve been better.” Representatives from Sesame Street were grateful that the Elmo tweet opened up a conversation about emotions, mental health, and friendship.
The original tweet and the overwhelming reaction to the question are a reminder that we all need to check-in on one another. Visits, phone calls, text messages, emails, and greeting cards can all help us to stay connected and carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). You may be familiar with a hymn called “The Servant Song” (also known as “Will you let me be your servant”). The song encourages us to serve our neighbor in imitation of Christ, the Suffering Servant. The lyrics call us to friendship and faithfulness, challenging us to walk with one another through every emotion and situation of life:
“We are pilgrims on a journey, we are travelers on the road; we are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load. I will weep when you are weeping; when you laugh, I’ll laugh with you. I will share your joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through.” (Richard Gillard, Christian Copyright Licensing International).
St. Francis de Sales said something similar when he wrote that true friends “assist and encourage” us in life. He believed that “(we) need to hold onto each other in order to progress more securely. Those living in the world need… mutual strength and aid in the difficult passages that have to be crossed (The Introduction to the Devout Life, chapter 17).”
As our Lenten journey continues, let’s check in with our friends, our family, and our neighbors. Let’s pray for one another, support one another, and, in imitation of our Lord, serve one another.
Thanks for the reminder, Elmo!
Fr. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
