Won't You Be My Neighbor?

A sweet homage to Mr. Rogers over the years.

 

Fred McFeely Rogers, otherwise known to children simply as Mr. Rogers, was born 85 years ago today. His birthday is marked every year by celebrating, "Won't You Be My Neighbor? Day." This year is also, sadly, the 10th anniversary of his death This gentle man, an ordained minister, created a wonderfully safe and nurturing neighborhood where children could be free to develop into good people. I remember watching him during his earliest broadcast years in Pittsburgh, where his show was produced. I think it was his sweater that was the most comforting element of his persona. Sweaters are safe, reliable, and warm - everything that characterized Mr. Rogers. One bit of trivia related to him which I only learned recently is that his middle name was McFeely! He gave his name to the neighborhood postman, Mr. McFeely, known for his "speedy delivery." For anyone nostalgic for a visit to Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, pay a call on PBS where videos are available for viewing online. Mental Floss has a great article entitled, "15 Reasons Mr. Rogers was the Best Neighbor Ever." It's a nicely researched mini-biopic that details some little known information about Mr. Rogers, such as the fact that many of the sweaters he wore on his show were hand-knit by his mother!