It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I'll bet you're asking who these beautiful ladies are and what do they have to do with the blog title. Well, I'm going to tell you who they are. These are four of the many preschool teachers who have passed through the halls and classrooms of the St. Matthews United Methodist Church's preschool. The lovely lady to the left of the picture is a very good friend of mine, and is the former director of the school. The gorgeous woman to her left (the tall one) is another friend who I like to call "Misses Rogers."

This teacher is the female equivalent to Sesame Street's Mister Rogers (Remember the song; hence the title of this blog) because everything she did was done in calm and low key manner. She has since retired, but she was the first teacher that two of my children had for their initial preschool experience. She was perfect for any child's introduction to preschool. I haven't seen her for many years, but have kept in touch with Christmas cards and the Internet. I like to think that she still has the same demeanor. In fact, I am sure that she does, along with a very dedicated faith in God.


Above, is a picture of Misses Rogers with my son, Rock. This is how the day would start. Misses Rogers would be sitting at a table, ready to begin a project. As she welcomed the children, they would choose an activity somewhere in the room. Slowly, she would call over a few at a time to see if they would be interested in what she was doing. There were several parents who volunteered to help out with all of the activities.

There were many special days at school. One of these days was "Pajama Day." All the kids would wear their pjs, and so would all the teachers (and the director... as long as she wasn't meeting with any new parents that day). The classes would all make breakfast. The children would mix ingredients and Misses Rogers would assist them in cooking.


For the last few years, Misses Rogers has been fighting cancer. She has undergone chemo and surgery. Throughout this hellish journey, her spirits have been incredibly high. After appointments and/or treatments, she would email us with an update of what happened, what would happen next, and how she was feeling. The mailing list of emails has grown steadily. We have prayed for Misses Rogers and her family. As do many who make the journey through cancer treatment, she has taken two steps forward and one step back, all the time praising God and praying for his will.

This past week, she received news from her doctors that there is nothing more that can be done. She has come to the end of her life's journey and has accepted the fact that she will soon join friends and family who have gone before her. We pray for her comfort, and for her family, we pray for understanding and healing.

Misses Rogers has touched the lives of hundreds of children and their parents. I can only imagine the size of the group who will attend services for her. Rock, Ed and I will be there in spirit.

Misses Rogers will be fondly remembered for her amazing ability to communicate with every child, her tender and loving care shown to every child, and her adventurous spirit which she shared with all of her children.

God Bless you, Misses Rogers.