Remembering Mr. Rogers

Tonight I went to the memorial service for Dick Rogers, a man I have known all my life. (Really - the Rogers family moved to Memphis when I was just a few months old and started going to our church.) His daughter, Stacy, is one of my oldest and dearest friends. Mr. Rogers has had heart problems for as long as I can remember, but he never let that stop him from an active life serving God and other people. Whenever I think of Stacy's dad, different things come to mind. Growing up, I would go over to their house and we'd always play outside. Stacy and her sister Susan had a wooden swing (just a small board really) hanging from a huge tree in their backyard. Mr. Rogers would always push us - really high. I'd get so freaked out, but loved every minute of it! I remember seeing Mr. Rogers play basketball and thinking how cool it was that my friend's father played better than the younger guys on the court! A couple of times I was invited to join the whole Rogers family for dinner on Sunday nights after church. We'd all sit around the dining room table after dinner, singing songs out of old songbooks. Those memories are so dear to me, because I felt so special to be included in their time together. Most of all, I'll remember his amazing tenor singing voice. There are some songs that I'm sure I never sing without hearing his voice in my head.

I am saddened by the loss of Mr. Rogers. Returning to the congregation where I grew up will never be the same again. But, what a wonderful legacy this man left behind and what a wonderful blessing it is to have known him!