I See You!

Posted on by Victoria

Did you hear about Elmo’s tender-hearted outreach…on X (formerly Twitter)?

You don’t have to love Sesame Street’s favorite cuddle muffin to adore this Tweet, where the lovable Elmo, on January 29, queried his followers:

Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?

Yep. That’s right. Sweet Elmo’s outreach? It garnered millions of views and thousands of reposts. So many that the beloved puppet – remember, folks – he’s a puppet – followed up with this Tweet just a day later:

Wow! Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you.

Oh my. I don’t know how many children in the U.S. grew up watching Sesame Street and trusting in the warmth that exudes from Elmo, but I suspect the groundswell of love in return was about all about meeting a need. A need to be seen.

I worry about the disconnected nature of life right now. Pick a channel, a platform, a pundit, a self-help guru and they’re all spouting the same worry, calling out a painful truth:  Loneliness can be disastrous…even deadly.

As I’ve talked to friends in the mental health business, I’ve yet to encounter a single professional who didn’t cheer as a result of Elmo’s Tweet.  And if I’m being honest…I’ll share that despite my disillusionment with X…and sometimes social media in general… Elmo brought a little gravitas and redemption. Here’s my take-away:

If Elmo can ask…so can I. 

And I don’t need to be afraid of what I might hear in reply.

Listening is love. 

I may not remedy a troublesome situation or relieve underlying stress, but just for a moment, being human-to-human, without strings, might be all the encouragement we need.

I see you. Keep going.

I hesitated to post about Elmo, but his viral Tweets provided me with a perfect opportunity – as we acknowledge Mental Health Awareness Month here in the U.S.  I’ve mentioned this resource in the past – SAMHSA – the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the many resources they offer. Here are a few that are notable at any time, but especially during a month where saying, “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” carries oomph. Truth can do that.

Mental Health Awareness Month | SAMHSA

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Tips and Resources for Mental Health Awareness Month | SAMHSA

A little more?  I don’t think we can ever focus enough attention on the stress and isolation that caregivers – including parents might feel. It’s such an important and timely topic, closely associated with mental health awareness. I learned this week that the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) will be debuting a book on the topic in September, titled “You Are Not Alone”. I’ll be sure to share more about the book as soon as it’s released.

Lastly, I’m thrilled to be presenting tomorrow evening, Thursday, May 9, on the topic of caregiver stress at the Palos Heights Public Library. If you’re in the Chicago area, I’d love to meet you.

I see you, friend. And I thank you for reading and for looking out for yourself…and those you love.

Vicki 😉

37 thoughts on “I See You!”

  1. Sesame Street has been a force of kindness and compassion for so many generations and what Elmo did is seemingly simple but so important.

    I just recently read that the World Health Organization has declared loneliness a looming global epidemic and it’s so true. And so ironic given we have the tools to be more connected than ever but use it in for the completely different purposes.

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    1. You, with your big heart, Ab. I love your point – we ARE more “connected” and yet separated in so many ways. Thanks for your comment and mutual love of Sesame Street. Simple and important.
      xo! 🥰

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  2. What a thoughtful check-in – Elmo’s and yours. It’s the simple things that can make the biggest difference, isn’t it? Thanks for this post full of encouragement, authenticity, and care! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  6. The wide reach of Elmo’s tweet suggests that we aren’t asking each other often enough, “How are you doing?” Thanks for the timely reminder to check in often with the people we love. 🥰

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  8. Love Sesame Street! I’m glad for the makers of the program for messages like “I see you.” And I’m grateful for you for also sharing the message of compassion. Also, best wishes at your presentation tomorrow evening!

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  10. Mental health awareness is one of the most important topics of the 21st century. Education moves sometimes at a frustratingly slow pace, but I think society is finally coming around on this topic. It’s not something to tease about or make light of. It’s a very real problem that many people face.

    I suspect you will nail it, Vicki, as you seem quite comfortable on your podcasts. Perhaps you’ll be a little nervous initially, but you’ll win the audience over in no time.

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  11. Oh, that’s such a cool tweet. It reminded me of the tweet that Steve from the old kid’s show, Blues Clues, sent out a few weeks ago. He had a similar message: “”Hey, I’m checking in. Tell me what’s going on.” He ended it by saying: “Okay. Alright, well, it’s good to hear from you. You look great, by the way.” Elmo, Steve from Blues Clues and Blogger Vicki all checking up on folks — The Three Musketeers for Mental Health! Glad you posted and good luck tomorrow night. Can’t wait to hear about your presentation. Good luck, I’m sure it will be awesome.

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  13. I hope your presentation yesterday went beautifully Vicki. And yes, to Elmo’s tweet. Reaching out and really listening is something so many people need. That true connection without any ulterior motive is sadly missing in our society. Along with other problems, many young people report being lonely and not being able to make friends. Something that seemed relatively easy in our generation. There are so many reasons for this. I could write a whole paper on it. But loneliness is real and evident for all ages.
    Thank you for this lovely uplifting story. Elmo was a bright spark that day for many.

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    1. Thank you so much! I’m not surprised to hear you also worry about the horrors of disconnectedness, loneliness. It actually came up last night in the presentation – thank you for asking. Loneliness was once a concern primarily for those whose worlds shrink due to aging, but that’s just not the case these days, as you said. Big hugs and much love to you! 🥰

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  16. Hi Vicki! I hope your presentation went well on Thursday. I’ve been thinking about you since I arrived in Chicago yesterday. I hadn’t heard of Elmo’s tweet but it’s so adorable. I have been reading the book “Project Unlonely” by Dr. Jeremy Nobel. The levels of loneliness in our world are frightening. We all need human connection.

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    1. Hi, Michelle!!! You’re the second person to mention Nobel’s book — I’d better add it to my reading list. Safe travels to you! (I’m remembering you were headed to Milwaukee?) xo! 🥰

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