One-Four-Three

Do you have a favorite number? Mine is 13. I was born on the 13^th. I was told I was the 13^th grandchild. I won a gold medal or a blue ribbon or a spelling bee or something when I had number 13 pinned to my chest. So, while others said 13 was unlucky, I embraced it and said it was the best.

Fred “Mister” Rogers said his favorite number was 143, because it represents the number of letters in I-LOVE-YOU. What a kind-hearted and gentle soul. Where my favorite was all about me, Mister Rogers’s choice embraces you, and me, and everybody in the neighborhood with a sweet little code.

143 = I Love You.

I wish I knew someone who still uses a digital pager. I would send them a message right now. 143. They might turn their device upside down to see if EhI meant anything. Or try to decipher the code by keypad spelling.[1] “I love you,” I would say, when they called back later. "That's all. Just wanted you to know."

British comedian Michael McIntyre has a feature called Send To All on his eponymous BBC “Big Show.” He taps a potentially embarrassing text into a celebrity guest’s mobile and somehow sends it to everyone in their phone.

I wonder how Send To All works? Could I send 143 to everyone in my phone? Would I? How would my contacts respond? If they knew about Mister Rogers’s favorite number, they might smile, or roll their eyes, or send back a heart emoji. They would know that I care. Others might respond with a “Huh?” Or a 🤔. Or dismiss it as a pocket dial.

Maybe someone would be curious enough to call me and give me a chance to say “I love you” without numbers.

From his eponymous PBS “Neighborhood," Mister Rogers sent analog I-LOVE-YOU messages to all of us. With every episode, he welcomed us into his home and his community. We smiled. We connected with his open heart. Some days we might have even rolled our eyes. And that was okay. We were safe to feel.[2] 

When he sang “It’s you I like,” he messaged 143, I love you. Send To All.

We didn't need a pager or cell phone to feel the love.

“So let’s make the most of this beautiful day…,”[3]

Consider saying “I love you” in a send-to-all kind of way.

Would you be bold? Could you be bold

and 143 your neighbor?

*.*.*

[1] Doesn’t work. No letters on the one key.

[2] See post “What you’re feeling…”

[3] From “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (1990). Music and Lyrics by Fred M. Rogers. © McFeely-Rogers Foundation. https://www.misterrogers.org/video-playlist/mister-rogers-songs/ accessed 15-Mar-2026

[illustration generated using wix ai]