Fred Rogers was a person I grew up with in my early years. He was there for fun and there when times were tough and called for a little more than a laugh.
In any case, he was the epitome of a good friend who also happened to be my neighbor. Everyday, he'd greet me with a smile and ask caring questions that ultimately lead to lesson-learning discussions. And laughs.
Sadly, we got to see each other only 30 minutes at a time before he had to go.
I grew up in tough times in a tough neighborhood in Norwalk, California, but the moment I turned on the TV to see Mister Rogers, that tough stuff disappeared and life was a whole lot more manageable and enjoyable.
Now that I'm grown, I occasionally see old episodes in syndication on PBS and I'm still willing to make my way down to Mister Rogers house and learn a lesson or find a smile.
It makes me sad that today's TV and the generations of kids who watch it aren't able to experience what it was like being a part of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, but I certainly hope they find authentic goodness and goodwill in whatever and whoever today.
It was what Mister Rogers himself wanted for us, the people who grew up watching his show.
He passed away 12 years ago yesterday and I came across a video that was the final thing he taped at his studio before signing off TV indefinitely.
It was a reminder of that charge he gave us at the end of every show, that we, like him, should "like [people] just the way [they] are" and now that we're older, help the children in your life know that "you'll do everything you can to keep them safe."
Safe from discouragement of people. Safe from the vanity of media. Safe from the harms of this world.
They are life lessons that I live by that I have used and benefitted from in my professional, personal, and faith lives.
That's what made this humble small-town, Christian minister-turned-TV icon into one of the greatest people I and the rest of the world ought to have known.
How I wished I could have met him in person to thank him for his gentle encouragement and entertainment! I suppose I have the rest of my life to thank him by emulating the God-fearing man that he was.
So, let's get started now.
"Won't you be my neighbor?"
Hello, neighbor.
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