![\"mr-rogers-land-of-make-believe\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/408\/2018\/09\/mr-rogers-land-of-make-believe-300x225.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Mr. Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood was not on television where I grew up.\u00a0 My children missed the show\u2019s heyday also. So it was a surprise when late in life, long after Mr. Roger\u2019s had gone to the great neighborhood in the sky, I became a fan. Not of his television shows, puppets or music, but of him. I became a fangirl when my friend, Ian told me stories of how Mr. Rogers famously accepted everyone exactly as they were. \u00a0He made everyone feel liked with a non-judgmental attitude. Whether he liked them or not we will never know. Even when he disagreed with someone\u2019s behavior he remained kind and accepting. He stated what he would like changed but did not criticize the person. How does someone become that person?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I believe appreciation is a holy thing, that when we look for what\u2019s best in the person we happen to be with at the moment, we are doing what God does; so in appreciating our neighbor, we\u2019re participating in something truly sacred.<\/em>\u00a0 Fred Rogers<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fred Rogers, an ordained Presbyterian minister as well as a TV personality, died in 2003.\u00a0 His essential message was unconditional love.\u00a0 \u201cWon\u2019t you be my neighbor?\u201d was how he asked children and adults alike to connect. It is also the title of the 2018 documentary by filmmaker Morgan Neville. (Available on iTunes and Pay for View.) He cultivated love and supported the universal need to be loved with the frequent reminder, \u201cyou are an important person just the way you are.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI want to be like that,\u201d I declared to Ian, who laughed. He either did not want to be like Mr. Rogers or thought it was an unrealistic goal. I disagree.\u00a0 Psychological and happiness research tells us that in addition to food and shelter, humans need connection and purpose to thrive.\u00a0 Mr. Rogers striped the academics down to simply, \u2018everyone wants to be loved\u2019. It is the begging, cutting off and lashing out in the absence of love that makes people hard to like or appreciate. He somehow knew how to ignore all the fuss and see the true person underneath.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is no reason why we all can\u2019t channel Mr. Rogers. I will practice by reminding myself that angry, fearful and selfish behavior is a call for love. \u00a0Especially when I am the one doing them. I will accept people as they are, though I may not like or condone their behavior. \u00a0What I \u2018like\u2019 is not as important as the person behind the actions. \u2018Won\u2019t you be my neighbor?\u2019 is the enduring message.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thanks, Mr. Rogers.\u00a0 It took several decades but I finally understand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mr. Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood was not on television where I grew up.\u00a0 My children missed the show\u2019s heyday also. So it was a surprise when late in life, long after Mr. Roger\u2019s had gone to the great neighborhood in the sky, I became a fan. Not of his television shows, puppets or music, but of him.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":619,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n