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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Mr. Rogers |
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| Sara |
| 03/04/03 at 22:44:06 |
| The Letter I never sent to Mister Rogers! [i]by Suhaib Insha-Allah[/i] [url]http://soundvision.com/info/media/rogers.asp[/url] The wooden door would open, and he would come in, smiling. Singing, he would put his jacket away and put a sweater on--still smiling. Every day my little brother and I would watch this routine. He was like a grandfather. He would talk to us, and we would go visit places. He was like a kind friend. To two little boys (5 and 6 years old) who knew little English and were outcasts in the schoolyard, he always offered a comforting smile. I remember rooting for Mister Rogers during a TV popularity contest between him and Big Bird (I was so sad when Big Bird won). As I grew older and stopped watching his show, I always wondered how he was. To me, he seemed like an example of what a good Muslim should be. He was kind, calm, principled, and never hesitated to smile. So for the longest time, I wanted to write to him about Islam. I actually sat down and wrote a couple of letters. But I never sent them. Something would always come up. I would procrastinate. A close friend even gave me, as a gift, a book entitled "Dear Mister Rogers: Does it ever Rain in Your Neighborhood?" The book came with a self-addressed envelope. All it needed was my letter. But I still never got around to sending him one. Dozens of letters sent to him and his responses that were in this book. Questions like "Are You Real? " and expressions of grief for divorce and death were answered in such a caring and sincere way that it confirmed in me the belief that he was a good man. He was someone who was naturally connected with God. A little boy's mother had written to him about his ill Ga-Ga (what the little boy called his grandmother) dying. The boy was upset because he felt that he hadn't prayed hard enough for her to survive her illness. Mister Rogers gave a response that showed how much attention he gave to this. ... Most people--adults and children--who have lost a loved one often feel guilty, helpless and angry. That's only natural. Even if we have a sense that person who died is in the loving hands of God, there still can be painful and angry feelings because we miss that person. This is a portion of the letter dated August 25, 2001 that I wrote (but didn't send) ----------------- Dear Mr. Rogers I love you. I have a special place in my heart for you. I don't want to proselytize but I feel that it is my duty as a human being who cares about another to give a message that may be not only very beneficial but may also bring a person closer to God. Very Sincerely, P.S. .. please enclosed find a copy of the Quran... ------------------ I was looking at this letter a few days before he died. I decided to make a few changes before I sent it to him. He died on February 26th. |
| Re: Mr. Rogers |
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| eleanor |
| 03/05/03 at 07:36:49 |
| [slm] okay sorry for being dense here - I know who Big Bird is but who was Mr.Rogers? |
| Re: Mr. Rogers |
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| BUSHRA |
| 03/05/03 at 08:29:53 |
[slm], "Mr. Roger's Neighbourhood" was a very popular children's program I think in the 80's (though it could have been earlier than that ). It wasn't a favourite of mine though since I always preferred Sesame Street to it. [quote author=eleanor link=board=kabob;num=1046835847;start=0#1 date=03/05/03 at 07:36:49] [slm] okay sorry for being dense here - I know who Big Bird is but who was Mr.Rogers?[/quote] P.S. Nice to be back on the board after a short break. BUSHRA :-) |
| Re: Mr. Rogers |
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| theOriginal |
| 03/05/03 at 20:27:24 |
| [slm] Mr. Rogers was my childhood hero. I always used to ask my mom WHY he changed his jacket in every episode. It's not like us normal people have "home jackets"....I always thought that when I was old like him, I'd have a home jacket too. Don't know why that's important. And I agree with the author, yeh...always thought he was a muslim at heart. Wasalaam. |
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