Sometimes I Write

I’ve moved around a lot and lived next door to amazing, friendly people, but I’ve never had a neighbor I loved like Mr. Rogers. Like millions of other children, I grew up singing this song, going on field trips to interesting places in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood, reading stories with Daniel Tiger, and learning some of life’s tougher lessons in a safe, nurturing way. Fred Rogers looked for the good in everyone he met and championed kindness and knowing who you are.

He was safe and gentle. He didn’t yell. He wasn’t sarcastic. He cared deeply for his friends. He said there’s no one else exactly like me and he likes me just the way I am. When you hear those words day after day, you begin to believe them. Mr. Rogers was a fantastic neighbor!

He gave me hope and courage, and I wanted to live in his real life neighborhood. I loved his words of wisdom that sounded a lot like words of love from someone who clearly knew how to love people. He taught me that every person has value and it’s up to me to always be a friend. He said things like,

“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”

And

“You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices. And hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are.”