“There’s just one person in the whole world like you. And I like you just the way you are.”

I don’t care who you are, how much money you do or don’t have.  How great your body is or isn’t.  How popular you are or aren’t, we all just want to be accepted.  Problem is do we really know what we want people to accept?  It seems we are all focused on making adjustments to who we are to fit a mold of what we think everyone else deems to be acceptable.  So how amazing it would feel to hear those words

“There’s just one person in the whole world like you. And I like you just the way you are.”

If you are in your thirties or older, maybe someone has told you this.  That person’s name was probably Fred Rogers.  Yes, I saw “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” today with my 11-year-old daughter.  I was quickly transported back to a time when I lived at home, with both my parents and adult sister. That theme song branded into my memory.  Despite the apparent dysfunction of my family its memories like these that actually make miss those days.

One of the first things I thought, what a shame my girls did not grow up with this program in their life.  My youngest daughter, Isabella is growing up watching adults play pretend on their youtube channels.  I just may need to go on youtube and start making my girls some old episodes.  Anyway, the movie was great brought on many emotions but what really resonated with me, is there someone who really likes me the way I am?  I’m quite sure there is no one else like me, I get that but do I really feel that there is someone who really likes me the way I am.

I was married for 13 years, the day I received the court papers granting my divorce was also the 5-year anniversary for my father’s death.  Two people I presumed to like me the way I am, one dead the other just the relationship has died.

Divorce is a funny thing when it was final I didn’t make an announcement. People make wedding announcements but, what happens when you end the marriage. It’s interesting hearing the reactions, sometimes its congratulatory others empathetic.  If you ask me how I feel can change by the hour.  But back to the question at hand. I live with a man for about 16 years of my life at some point he decided this wasn’t going to work for him anymore.  Is it because he really didn’t like me the way I am?  Will anybody ever truly like me the way I am beside my children and my parents?

I don’t know.

In the latter part of the movie, they touch on a few people in media citing that Mr. Rogers is the reason my generation has a sense of entitlement.  That we were taught that we were all special, therefore didn’t have to work hard.  Now I think that’s completely absurd.  However, part of my journey navigating this new single life I’m trying to tell myself, it doesn’t matter.  So much stress, pain, and suffering has come from me worrying about how someone else feels or thinks of me.  So now I have the answer to who just likes me the way I am…

ME.