Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

When i think about happiness the educational children's program, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, comes to mind. Most Americans and perhaps Canadians will remember of this growing up or raising their children watching this program. In Mr. Roger's neighborhood happiness happens naturally and all it took was loving kindness towards all and respect and trust for one and another. It did not cost much and demanded very  little in terms of mental and spiritual understanding. Humanity can learn a great deal from Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood,  the simple rules that governs coexistence based upon trust and respect, tolerance and giving. Man today has become overly complex in nature that he cannot tell the difference anymore between right and wrong or between living and surviving. 

"We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say, 'It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.' Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes." Fred Rogers.

Spoken in 1994, quoted in his obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Mr. Rogers or Fred was  a Guru to my three children who grew up in the United States as he was mine;Fred helped to become a more centered and caring father than I would have been. In his down to earth and heart warming humility, I was moved to accept my responsibility as a father and a husband to my wife and a close friend to my neighbors while I was living on 2nd. Avenue, in the Richmond District of San Francisco, which was 2 blocks from the Golden Gate Park. Fred's gentleness and almost child like manners became embossed into my psyche with the impression that it was okay to be who you are. I was pretty much a babysitter taking care of my children while my wife worked. It was not easy for me to become a homemaker; my ego was  simply not accepting such a role without repercussions. Watching my children watching Mr. Rogers's Neighborhood indirectly affected my in more positive ways than i care to admit.

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers--so many caring people in this world."

From The World According to Mister Rogers (Kindle Locations 645-647).

I'd looked and found many 'helpers' in and around the neighborhood to help me in raising my one and two year olds

while their mom worked and i found many. The neighborhood playground at Rossy Park or Balboa and Guerrero was where we would meet and our children would play. What would have turned out to be a disaster for my family, became fun and game as we held numerous birthday parties and treat each other to inexpensive Christmas gifts between neighbors. Ours was a support group that had helped many struggling families stay together through the tough economic times.

"Confronting our feelings and giving them appropriate expression always takes strength, not weakness. It takes strength to acknowledge our anger, and sometimes more strength yet to curb the aggressive urges anger may bring and to channel them into nonviolent outlets. It takes strength to face our sadness and to grieve and to let our grief and our anger flow in tears when they need to. It takes strength to talk about our feelings and to reach out for help and comfort when we need it."

From The World According to Mister Rogers (Kindle Locations 111-114)han 

On behalf of my family and neighborhood friends, Thank you, Mr. Rogers.  

"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has--or ever will have--something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression."

Fred Rogers.