It may seem silly to some, but I will write to famous people or organizations when I feel I have something to give. I was encouraged to do this by someone in my past, and I have been surprised when often they write back. Once I had the motivation to write to the organization that manages Fred Rodger’s legacy or Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood if you ever watched it.
The reason I wrote was the event “Won’t You Wear a Sweater Day” where you could wear a sweater to remember Mr. Rodgers. To me, his message of loving people for who they are meant that we should be focused on being kind and loving (patient, and so on) with others and not be concerned about fashion. The person who wrote back from the organization was very kind. She considered what I said and had a thoughtful response. I don’t recall her name, but I recall the kindness that she responded to me.
Why am I sharing that now? Because one of the things she said was “it is clear you have internalized his message” and that a sweater for me is insufficient. There are a few people in my life who have inspired me. I could probably count them all on one hand. Fred Rodgers was one of the turning points of my life. Watching him gave me an opportunity to relate to others in a sincere and authentic way. Sometimes I think that if I had never seen him I would be unhappy and desperately trying a worldview of self-focus to be happiness.
So why am I sharing this now? Even though Mr. Rodgers died in 2003, the example he was, lives in me and others who are inspired by his message. The best part of life in my opinion is in growing and loving others. Won’t you be each other’s neighbor?