5 Reasons We're Taking Maria's Departure From Sesame Street So Badly

No, Maria wasn't our mom, but she might as well have been based on the lessons she taught us over the years. Life lessons — like the permanence of death (shown above) — are the hallmark of Sesame Street and for many kids, the show is the only place they learned them. Her calm, soothing voice assured us — and our kids — that everything would be OK.