The Magic Woods and Mister Rogers

"I think it will be good for you to speak to the nation's children," Fred Rogers said to me one morning in the spring of 2001. I can remember my thoughts at that moment, which was a very profound moment for me. We had yet to produce our first show, and I was immersed with all of the prep work of pulling together the funding and the team that we would need to pull it off. My feeling at hearing this was not one of pride, but one of great responsibility. I knew that one has to earn the right to pick up that torch and carry it.

Family Communications, Inc., the non-profit that Fred had created to produce his show (now called the Fred Rogers Company), had agreed to act as our conduit for funding while we went through all of the paperwork to start our own non-profit, The Magic Woods, Inc. This was a great stepping stone in our efforts to teach children about nature--and human nature--through television and other media, and I am very thankful that Fred and Bill Isler offered such great support.

Fred and I met frequently through this period of development of The Magic Woods. He invited me to his writing office, and once wrote this invitation: "This is important because it's for the children." As many know, Fred was a very spiritual man, and he spoke freely about how he would pray to the Holy Spirit that his efforts on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood could magically bridge the gap between the television set and where the child was sitting, so that he, by God's grace, could bring a positive message into that home. "That may be the only positive message that child receives all day," he said to me.

I felt like a sponge in the ocean trying to absorb all that was going on around me, knowing that the vastness of Fred's wisdom and experience would be hard to fully take in, but that it could grow like a mustard seed if I tended this proverbial garden with care. And so it was that I set my compass by this star; an Angel Stream, a friend of mine called it.

When we had finished our first program, the award-winning "Monarch Butterfly Trail," the most wonderful review that I received was when Fred called one day and told me that when his grandchildren came to visit, they kept requesting to watch The Magic Woods with him.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood had finished its production around this time, and at our first meeting in his office at WQED he leaned forward as we were talking and said, "Do you know what this means to me at this point in my career to see someone coming along he wants to continue doing this work?" He could see a lot of himself in my efforts, and I will admit that I had a thorough sense of altruism in trying to create a program, that while unique, would embody the grace and wisdom that Fred's program did. This is especially true now that the Neighborhood is no longer seen across the country.

I'm very thankful to Mr. Fred Rogers for sharing his thoughts, ideas, and time with me. He marveled at my perseverance in trying to get this work done, especially after I experienced a major set back because of a serious head injury. He asked me how I was able to do it. I told him that when I was a young boy a very wise man had told me that I was special, and I believed him.


Until we meet again, go well with good blessings.

Location:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania