Recently Mister Rogers would have celebrated his 85th birthday. Unfortunately, we lost him in 2003 to stomach cancer. I, like so many people, grew up watching “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” I was happily reacquainted with him when my children were small.

Each episode was like a dose of St. John’s wort, thirty minutes of yoga and pressure point massage all wrapped up into a cozy cardigan sweater for kids and parents alike. I miss his message. I miss his style and demeanor.

I miss him.

Mister Rogers was born Fred McFeely Rogers just outside of Pittsburgh. He was an American educator, Presbyterian minister, songwriter, author, puppeteer, and television host. He was married for 51 years and received accolades too numerous to list, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His awards and achievements are overshadowed though by the powerful and positive impact he had on so many children’s lives.

Rogers was a master at addressing complex ideas about emotional development in ways that seemed so simple. Lessons in each episode covered cooperation, positivity, patience, sharing, persistence, taking turns, simplicity, and more. He once said, “Growing on the inside are the words I use when I talk with children about such things as learning to wait, learning to keep on trying, being able to talk about their feelings, and to express those feelings in constructive ways. These signs of growth need at least as much notice and applause as the outward kind.”

Every episode began and ended with the iconic changing of the shoes and sweaters. Mister Rogers would sing “Won’t you be my neighbor?” And he would make the following statement, “You’ve made this day a special day just by being you. You are the only person like you in this whole world. And people can like you just because you’re you.” He encouraged caring for the person next to you and recognizing your individuality and personal gifts.

When the complexities of life overwhelm us as parents, consider this quote from Mister Rogers: “The gifts we treasure most over the years are often small and simple. In easy times and in tough times, what seems to matter most is the way we show those nearest us that we’ve been listening to their needs, to their joys, and to their challenges.”

Let’s take a moment to hear what Mister Rogers said to us, to our children and to the world. The message and the man were much more than a sweater. Thank you Mister Rogers for all the lessons you taught us!

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Guest Illustrator Phyllis Alexander is a mother of three and grandmother of 10.  For years she was a watercolor portrait artist whose primary subject matter was children.  She has since traded in her painting pallet for a camera with which she captures the special moments she shares with her grandchildren.

Hannah Alexander Carpenter, Phyllis’ youngest, is the mother of four children. Hannah follows in her mother’s footsteps with her affection for capturing the odds and ends of family life, particularly the mercurial and fantastical nature of children, through her illustrations.