Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.
—J. M. Barrie
Every year, today is designated National Weatherperson’s Day. In 2020, Al marked his forty-second year on the air, twenty-four of them on Today. On set, we gave him a cupcake and brief video walk down memory lane. When Al isn’t on the show, it doesn’t work as well. I remember a time when he was off for three days and everything seemed clunky. We practically mobbed him when he returned, happy to have the secret sauce back in the bottle. Something you should know, too—at the start of every long commercial break, Al grabs his coat. “I’m headed outside to say hi to everybody.” The best.