![]() ![]() Molly and I would ski locally at an area near her home,when she relocated to Westfield, N.J, named Vernon Valley which is now Mountain Creek. Her eyes were as wide as a pie plate and I said it is all fine, just ski it – and she did. After a harrowing trip for her on the High Traverse to the top of High Rustler at Alta, Molly started down and initiated a small slide. ![]() We would also go west to Snowbird, and Alta with my friend Mike Smith from Lake George and oftentimes she would stare down the Cirque with some apprehension and I would encourage her to go for it because she had the technique to ski it. She skied the bullet proof conditions at Killington, Sugarloaf and Stowe, and when she returned to school, she was exhausted after a week with her Type Quad A brother. When we would drive to New England, I forced her to ski in the most challenging conditions( rain, sleet, snow, ice,) and we would drive forever trying to find the best snow. Bob and Sally Rose, Barley and Dixon Rich, and our parents,Carol and Dick, made it a priority that all of us kids would ski and enjoy the winter with the opportunity to stay in the mountains together-with spread out sleeping bags all over the living room.įast forward, my sister attended Carnegie Mellon University,majoring in Music Theater, and I would take her on her spring breaks to ski areas in the east and the west. My sister Molly and I had a great childhood learning to ski thanks to the initial encouragement of our parents and subsequently with the opportunity to stay at the Rich cabin on County Line Road every winter weekend. Maybe we all need someone to reach out to us and see that we are all ok in this time of isolation? Maybe we need to be the mirror for someone who is feeling lonely, isolated, afraid, and make them feel special because we thought of them? Maybe we all need to look in the mirror and see if all our friends are having a good day? Thanks Miss Molly and thanks for reading. So I was thinking just this weekend about how we all need ” The Magic Mirror”. Their parents were so happy and oftentimes speechless as they saw their children interact with the characters on the show. She always made sure they felt special and that everything would be ok in the unfamiliar environment of a television studio. Molly was good about inviting kids to the live taping of the shows at WMAR and WOR. Their faces would light up like a candle and their smiles were infectious as they screamed to their parents, ” Miss Molly mentioned my name in the mirror!!!” All their fears, hopes, expectations, unsure moments, would all be blended into a happy frenzy when Molly mentioned their name. When Molly would mention their name, they thought for sure that she was talking right to them. What made it so special and why do people today love to talk about having Miss Molly see them in the mirror as a kid? Personally, I think that it was a chance for kids viewing the show to be validated. It had that kind of impact.Īs I think back on those days, I think of the underlying message of the Magic Mirror. I would immediately call my sister on the phone and have her recite the famous words to that person and see them absolutely melt with appreciation or weep like a baby. There are people today that I relate this story to that watched the show as a kid and either Molly mentioned their name or in many cases, they told me that Molly never mentioned their name. ![]() Magic Mirror tell me today, did all my friends have fun at play?” And she would go on to mention many many different names each day and if you were sitting at home and she mentioned your name, you would feel so special and excited because she saw you in the Magic Mirror. At the end of every show, Miss Molly would pull out the mirror and say these immortal words, ” Romper bomper, stomper boo. New puppet characters like Granny Cat and Kimble were introduced to the show and created a cast of characters that evolved over the years as trusted friends to all the children.īut the one thing that stuck with a lot of kids who became adults throughout the country was an accessory called ” The Magic Mirror”. Lots of work was done on that show to validate children, their feelings, their hopes and dreams and make them feel special as they watched in their homes every day. Her tenure began with taping shows at WMAR in Baltimore and eventually working at Channel 9 WOR TV in Secaucus, New Jersey. As many of you may know, my sister, Molly McCloskey Barber was “Miss Molly” on the syndicated children’s television show “Romper Room and Friends” back in the 80’s. ![]()
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