Tuesday Treasure

It's Treasure Tuesday again. Boy, do the weeks fly by so fast, especially when you are barreling toward something you are dreading...anyway, that's another story.



To the right you will see an autographed picture. My son's first, I believe. For those of you who do not know who that is, it is Mr. McFeely from Mister Roger's Neighborhood. When we were in WV we drove up past Pittsburgh to a beautiful park where they were celebrating Neighborhood Days and we met Mr. McFeely, Neighbor Aber, and Mayor Maggie. They were all so nice and friendly, letting us know where to find cool things in Pittsburgh and even wondering how we fared with Hurricane Rita and Katrina once they found out we were from Texas. So very cool.

I LOVED Mister Rogers as a kid. It wasn't just the show, but the man himself. He was so calm and friendly and really like your own neighbor. I loved King Friday and Lady Elaine and especially Daniel Tiger. I was thrilled when my son, at around age two, discovered Mister Rogers as well. We would spend mornings watching him on PBS and there was always a lesson that needed to be learned that was right up Jacob's alley at the time. I recently borrowed some videos from the library after returning from our trip to tour The Land of Make-Believe and it is a nice respite from the Cars and Pinky Dinky Doo we have been enjoying lately.

Jacob was really excited to meet Mr. McFeely that day, but he continued to ask where Mister Rogers was. I didn't want to ruin his trip by explaining death to him, he's had enough of that and is scared of it as it is, and told him that he was busy that day. He would tell me he was sad and hoped that Mister Rogers would be done "working" in time for us to meet him that day. Each time he would say that it would bring tears to my eyes because it WAS sad. What is the neighborhood without Mister Rogers? We had to wait in line to take the trolley into the Land of Make Believe (aka, the ride) and behind us was a heavily made up lady and her four obnoxious, way too old for Mister Rogers kids. Jacob, in all his excited glory, leaned over and asked one of those big boys if he was excited to see Mister Rogers (forever holding out hope, my boy) and that kid turned to his mom and said "Isn't he dead?" I was horrified. I push Jacob away and start speaking loudly to his dad and try to act like nothing just happened when that nasty woman leans over there and says, "Mister Rogers has been dead a long time" UH, not your place to tell him that ugly woman! Thank goodness, my husband was talking with him, loudly, and I didn't think he picked up that panic inducing statement. Yesterday, however, as we were watching another fine episode, he turned around and said, "Mister Rogers isn't dead is he?" I pretended to be too engrossed in the show to have heard what he said, but I fear I have to fess up and give him the truth. Would you?







Anyway, I have gotten off track a bit here. I picked my son's autographed picture as my treasure today because it's a little bit of something left over from my own childhood that I can share with him that makes me a bit nostalgic and misty eyed. I also think that Mister Rogers was a wonderful treasure to all children for many, many years and hope that he can be for many years to come. His entire life was devoted to children and even after his death he touches them and helps them face problems and issues with grace and understanding. I wish my son could have met Mister Rogers, but I am glad he spent some time with Mr. McFeely and Neighbor Aber, and Mayor Maggie and hope that he keeps that memory with him forever.