Setting Examples...

Fred Rogers

During today's "Zoom" session, a time of fellowship with a group of Christian men affiliated with Taylor University and UCC Church here in Upland,  we shared answering a BLOG question, posed by our Pastor friend, Dan Blosser.  In his BLOG yesterday, Dan had referenced an acceptance speech given by Fred Rogers, of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood", when he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 1997 Emmy Awards. Mr. Rogers told the audience: 'everyone take 10 seconds in silence to think about the people in your life that have helped you become who you are today'  He then looked down at his own watch and said he would watch the time. 

The camera panned the thoughtful audience, some of whom bowed their heads and closed their eyes. He went on to say 'Whomever you've been thinking about; how pleased they must be to know the diffference that you feel they've made'. Continuing, he said that some of his friends were already in heaven, and he thanked God for their lives.

Addressing the audience, he said 'While some of your friends may still be living... what if they received a note from you expressing your thanks? How would that change today for them? 

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Pastor Dan's BLOG went on to say 'What would our interactions look like if we aspired to be one of the people that our coworkers, friends, family members, students would instantly think about if Mr. Rogers asked them to spend ten seconds being grateful for those who have shaped them?'

For me, lesson learned... our lives are spent setting examples for virtually every person around us...of course, family, but also every other person who even hears and sees us from a distance... and some of those may in some way be influenced by what they observe, good or bad!

Thanks to Pastor Dan, and Fred Rogers, we are reminded of the importance of everything we do and say going forward because very likely our lives will be influencing all generations of our family and many distant observers, whose paths we cross! What a privilege!