{"id":21589,"date":"2026-03-11T11:25:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/uncategorized\/guideposts-classics-fred-rogers-on-a-grandfathers-love\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T06:12:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T06:12:30","slug":"guideposts-classics-fred-rogers-on-a-grandfathers-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/entertainment\/movies-and-tv\/guideposts-classics-fred-rogers-on-a-grandfathers-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Guideposts Classics: Fred Rogers on a Grandfather’s Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

The rain beat relentlessly against the windshield as we sped down the highway to Mercer. Pennsylvania. Mother sat next to me in the front seat. Since leaving from Pittsburgh nearly an hour ago, we had barely said a word.<\/p>\n

It was 1952, and Ding-Dong was dying.<\/p>\n

Ding-Dong was my grandfather<\/a>, Fred Brooks McFeely, my mother\u2019s father\u2014and one of my best friends for as long as I could remember.<\/p>\n

He earned his nickname years ago one sunny afternoon when he plunked me down on his sturdy lap to teach me the old nursery rhyme. \u201cDing Dong Dell.\u201d The name stuck.<\/p>\n

ENJOYING THIS STORY? SUBSCRIBE TO GUIDEPOSTS MAGAZINE!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

I was grown up now, two years out of college and working in New York for NBC television. Just yesterday Mother had telephoned me at work with the news of Ding-Dong\u2019s illness. Well into his 80s, he\u2019d been in a nursing home for several years. In recent months. however, his condition had worsened.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doctors say it\u2019s just plain old age,\u201d Mother had explained to me quietly. \u201cThey say he\u2019s fading fast.\u201d There was a long pause. \u201cDo you think you could come home, Fred? I think we should visit him as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

I made plans to fly from New York to Pittsburgh that evening.<\/p>\n

In one sense, it was good to get out of the city. Lately it seemed that nothing had been going right. When I first graduated from college and arrived at NBC, I was a starry-eyed idealist\u2014bursting with enthusiasm for the potential I felt that television held not only for entertaining, but for helping people.<\/p>\n

I was particularly interested in children\u2019s programming. But these were the early days of television and there didn\u2019t seem to be much interest in such things.<\/p>\n

So my goals seemed to be shifting\u2014and this bothered me. I really didn\u2019t know where I was going, or why. My self-confidence had sunk to near-zero. And never had I felt so far away from God.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d taken to stopping by St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue for morning prayer before going to work. Mostly, I prayed for guidance. But I was still uncertain and confused…<\/p>\n

\u201cFred,\u201d my mother interrupted my thoughts as our car continued on the wet highway. \u201cHe might not know you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour grandfather,\u201d she answered. \u201cHe\u2019s all mixed-up. He doesn\u2019t know what day it is. Sometimes he doesn\u2019t even know where he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt my throat tighten. Poor Ding-Dong.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut he is happy,\u201d Mother went on. \u201cAnd he loves to watch television.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe does?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, he loves to watch TV\u2014especially The Kate Smith Hour<\/em>. He knows that\u2019s one of the shows you work on. And from what I gather, he\u2019s forever telling everyone in the home about his grandson in New York City. He\u2019s so proud of you, Fred. You\u2019re special to him. You always have been, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded silently.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: BOB KEESHAN ON SHARING<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Listening to the rhythmic sound of the windshield wipers, I let my thoughts travel back to childhood \u2026<\/p>\n

As a youngster, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoons at Ding-Dong\u2019s rambling farm in western Pennsylvania. Surrounded by miles of winding stone walls, the rustic house and red brick barn provided endless hours of fun and discovery for a city kid like myself.<\/p>\n

I was used to neat-as-a-pin parlors with porcelain figures that seemed to whisper, \u201cNot to be touched!”\u2014to clean, starched shirts and neatly combed hair warning, \u201cNot to be mussed!”\u2014and to the inevitable wagging of an adult\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t do that, you might hurt yourself!\u201d finger.<\/p>\n

I could still remember vividly one afternoon when I was eight years old. Since my very first visit to the farm, I\u2019d wanted more than anything to be allowed to climb the network of stone walls surrounding the property.<\/p>\n

My parents would never approve. The walls were old; some stones were missing, others loose and crumbling.<\/p>\n

Still, my yearning to scramble across those walls the way I\u2019d watched other boys do grew so strong that finally, one spring afternoon, I summoned all my courage and entered the drawing room where the adults had gathered after Sunday dinner.<\/p>\n

All were chatting softly, sipping cups of tea and coffee. I cleared my throat. No one seemed to notice me.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d I said hesitantly.<\/p>\n

Everyone noticed me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI, uh\u2014I wanna climb the stone walls,\u201d I said. \u201cCan I climb the stone walls?\u201d<\/p>\n

Instantly a chorus went up from the women in the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeavens, no!\u201d they cried in dismay. \u201cYou\u2019ll hurt yourself!\u201d<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t really disappointed. The response was just as I\u2019d expected. But before I could leave the room, I was stopped by Ding-Dong\u2019s booming voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow hold on just a minute,\u201d I heard him say. \u201cSo the boy wants to climb the stone walls? Then let the boy climb the walls!<\/em> He has to learn to do things for himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow scoot on out of here,\u201d he said to me with a wink. \u201cAnd come see me when you get back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d I stammered, my heart pounding with excitement.<\/p>\n

For the next two and a half hours I climbed those old walls\u2014skinned my knee, tore my pants, and had the time of my life. Later, when I met with Ding-Dong to tell him about my adventures, I never forgot what he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFred,\u201d he grinned, \u201cyou made this day a special day, just by being yourself. Always remember, there\u2019s just one person in this whole world like you\u2014and I like you just the way you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

I wondered now if he ever knew how important that day\u2014and his words\u2014had been to me. I wondered if there was any way I could ever repay him\u2026<\/p>\n

The rain was letting up as we drove in the main drive to the neat clapboard cottage where Ding-Dong stayed. A white-uniformed nurse answered the door. \u201cMr. McFeely\u2019s had a nice day,\u201d she said as she let us in. \u201cHe\u2019s watching TV now. Kate Smith<\/a>\u2019s show is on. It\u2019s his favorite program.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDing-Dong?\u201d I said, peering into the dimly lit room. He was sitting in a chair next to the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDing-Dong?\u201d I hardly recognized him. He was so tiny, so frail and bent. He lifted his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello,\u201d he said, extending a feeble hand. \u201cHello, young man. Have a seat.\u201d He motioned to a nearby chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave a seat,\u201d he repeated, \u201cand watch this show with me. This is Kate Smith<\/a>. This is a fine show.\u201d<\/p>\n

I sat in the chair and watched the program. When the commercial came on, Ding-Dong said, \u201cYou know, young man, this television\u2019s a mighty great invention, I\u2019ve got a grandson in New York, and he told me all about it. He\u2019s something, that boy. And he\u2019s going to do great things in television. Yes, he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ding-Dong was smiling, his blue eyes twinkling ever so faintly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d he went on, \u201cI\u2019ve got quite a grandson. Would you like to meet him?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was obvious Ding-Dong didn\u2019t recognize me. But that was all right with me. Wherever in time or place Ding-Dong was in his weary old mind, t just wanted to let him be. All I could hear were his own words echoing in my head:<\/p>\n

There\u2019s just one person in the whole world like you. And I like you just the way you are.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s some grandson you\u2019ve got,\u201d I said. \u201cYou know, I believe he is going to try to do good things in television. He sure cares a lot about you. You\u2019ve helped him understand some of the most important things in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ding-Dong smiled and nodded. He seemed very happy, but he was tired. He asked to be put to bed. The nurse helped him up from his chair. Mother and I tucked him in. We chatted a bit more and then sat quietly until he fell asleep.<\/p>\n

On the way home, we were silent. But I felt strangely happy inside\u2014somehow peaceful. Something very special had happened that afternoon. In a very personal way, God had answered my prayers.<\/p>\n

I was beginning to understand what it was He wanted me to do with my television career: He wanted me to offer children the same kind of reassurance, encouragement and sense of self-worth<\/a> that Ding-Dong had given me.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know exactly how or when the right opportunities would arise, but I felt confident now that I would be ready to meet them.<\/p>\n

A few weeks later, I received an invitation to leave New York and join a small educational television station in Pittsburgh that was looking for a person to develop new programming.<\/p>\n

I jumped at the chance. And it was from those small beginnings\u2014hand-built sets, props and puppets\u2014that the themes and characters that now populate Mister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood<\/em><\/a> evolved.<\/p>\n

That was 26 years ago. Today, through the wonder of television, Mister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood<\/em> is visited each day by millions of children throughout America and other lands.<\/p>\n

There have been changes over the years; characters and special guests to the Neighborhood come and go. But one thing\u2014my message to the children at the close of every show\u2014remains the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s just one person in the whole world like you,\u201d the kids can count on hearing me say. \u201cAnd people can like you just the way you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ding-Dong, I know, would agree.<\/p>\n

For more inspiring stories, subscribe to <\/em>Guideposts<\/strong><\/a> magazine<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The rain beat relentlessly against the windshield as we sped down the highway to Mercer. Pennsylvania. Mother sat next to me in the front seat. Since leaving from Pittsburgh nearly an hour ago, we had barely said a word. It was 1952, and Ding-Dong was dying. 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