JARM DEL BOCCIO, AUTHOR AND BOOK COACH
  • HOME
  • About Jarm
    • Children's Author
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • My Books
  • Book Coaching
    • Coaching Services
  • My Blog
  • Author Engagements
    • Author Events
    • TEACHER'S GUIDE & HEART RESOURCES
  • SUBSCRIBE

A Writerly Blog

Mr. Rogers: Would You Be My Mentor?

12/4/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Our family had the opportunity last Saturday to watch A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks, who, by the way, did a fabulous job portraying Mr. Rogers. It would not surprise me if he won an Oscar. It helped me understand the heart behind the man so dearly loved by his young viewers.
Reflecting on my childhood, I can't believe my mother never introduced me to Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. I'm sure he would have brought peace into my sometimes troubled heart. Instead, Garfield Goose filled our screen. Are you old enough to remember the program? You can watch an excerpt HERE.
In rewatching a few minutes of Garfield Goose, we are introduced to a few new ideas which concentrate primarily on information, with a bit of humor thrown in. Mr. Rogers, on the other hand, focuses on feelings. Sure, he exposes children to many new things as well, but all with concern for the young viewers heart. Many of the topics Fred brings up, are issues children deal with sometimes on a daily basis. Death, divorce, bullying, prejudice - the list could go on. 
After watching A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, I understood what attracted me to this iconic figure, and why I would have cherished him as my mentor: compassion and patience. Two traits I lack in spades. Oh, not that I'm not compassionate when others are hurting. No. It shows up when I face those who have chosen a wrong path, have hurt others, or are generally un-loveable. But, according to Mr. Rogers, there are no unloveable people; only those who need to be heard, understood, and loved - just the way they are.

I admired his patience as he waited for a response in conversation. He felt no need to fill in the silence with platitudes or advice. His goal was to listen and accept each person in the journey they were taking, praying for many daily as he took an early swim.

That's why I'm thankful his legacy can continue on at the ​Fred Rogers Center where they pass on his misson as they help children grow as confident, competent, and caring human beings.
Picture
inc.com
I wanted to know what made the man we know as Mr. Rogers? Biographies tell us he was a minister who loved God, his fellow man, Scripture and prayer. His Christianity shone through.

Here are a few quotes from Mr. Rogers that we all need today, compiled by Geoffrey James:


"In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers."
"Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else."
"We speak with more than our mouths. We listen with more than our ears."
"You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices. And hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are."

Enjoy getting to know Mr. Rogers more fully in this trailer of another film that debuted last year, more of a documentary with Fred himself as the star. . .
If you'd like to see episodes from years past, find them here on Mr. Rogers official website. They are precious black and white footage from days gone by. Why not watch a few with your friends and family this holiday season, and reminisce? And, if you want to get to know the puppets and their role in Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, check out this LINK.

Picture
A few days ago, I listened to Janet Parshall's In the Market podcast You Are Special where she hosted Amy Hollingsworth, one of the few journalists allowed to interview Mr. Rogers, due to a rebuttal she made to an article maligning this gentle man. For over a decade, they conversed, exchanged emails and shared thoughts about life and faith. Amy was the last one to receive a letter from the humble star young viewers loved. Listen to the In the Market podcast HERE.

What about you? Did Mr. Rogers play a part in your life, or that of your children? Share your thoughts below!
Picture
Does your middle-grader get bored over the holidays? Consider The Heart Changer, historical fiction that will keep your child engaged with action, suspense and yes - much heart and compassion. Fred would agree this world is hard, but we have hope and heart to carry us through.


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Good News!

    My MG Biblical fiction "The Heart Changer" debuted in 2019 with Ambassador International.
    ​
    May I inspire you?
    ​ 
    If so, sign up HERE! 


    You’ll receive news of my latest blogpost and inspiration from life and literature to bring focus into your own journey. 

    ​I love to share the quirky things I see in the world. Sometimes, it's for a laugh; at other times, to teach a lesson. Or, just maybe, it will encourage you!

    Archives

    April 2025
    January 2025
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    August 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All
    Adoption
    Aging
    Amazon
    Author
    Author Endorsements
    Author Historical Sites
    Author Interviews
    Basque Country
    Book Cover Reveal
    Book Endorsements
    Bookish Things
    Book Launch
    Book Trailer
    Bucket Lists
    Charleston
    Children's Book Week
    Christmas
    Crisis
    Debut Book
    Disability
    Edie Melson
    Emotional Thesaurus
    England
    English Authors
    Faith Insights
    Fantasy Novels
    Film Insights
    Good Reads
    Gratitude
    History
    Insights
    Inspirational
    Jarm Del Boccio
    Julie Hedlund’s 12x12
    Languages
    Legacy Of Mercy
    Literary Insights
    Lynn Austin
    Media
    Memories
    Mesu Andrews
    Middle Grade Novels
    Middle-grade Novels
    Minimalism
    Mr. Roger's Neighborhood
    My Nomad Journey
    National Reading Month
    North Carolina
    North Korea
    Picture Books
    Portugal
    Rice From Heaven
    Sailing
    SC
    SCBWI
    Social Media
    Spain
    Technology
    Tessa Afshar
    The Desert
    The Heart Changer
    The Liebster Award
    The Way Home
    Tina Cho
    Travel
    Travel Writing
    Word Of The Year
    World Events
    Writer’s Block
    Writer's Conference
    Writer's Craft
    Writer’s Journey
    Writer's Retreat
    YA Novels

    RSS Feed

  • HOME
  • About Jarm
    • Children's Author
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • My Books
  • Book Coaching
    • Coaching Services
  • My Blog
  • Author Engagements
    • Author Events
    • TEACHER'S GUIDE & HEART RESOURCES
  • SUBSCRIBE