Last night, I watched the 40th Anniversary Version of Mary Poppins on DVD. I hadn’t watched it in years but bought it thinking that my daughter would like it.
As we watched the video, I became very aware of the premise of the story and the transformation of the father and how it was similar to the great changes going on in my life.
Mary Poppins was a huge change agent in life of the Banks’ family.
Prior to her showing up, the father was a serious man, attempting to build up his self-worth and importance by gaining more wealth and prestige at his bank. He never had any time to spend with his children, but only focused on what they did wrong or why they were bad. He never laughed or told jokes as it was simply not proper to do so.
The children would always want their father’s love, but yet never seemed to break through his demeanor.
His solution to this was to bring in a continual stream of nannies, whose strict British training was deemed the answer but yet the children would continually foil their attempts at “training” them.
In comes Mary Poppins.
By bringing the children on whimsical, magical adventures which ultimately involved the father, she manages to show the entire family that the world has so much more to offer beyond just the money, prestige, and prim and proper behavior that was so desired before.
The father resists change and attempts to remove the agent of change, Mary Poppins. But to no avail, the agent of change has already influenced the father and by the end of the movie he has transformed his entire being into a more positive soul, valuing no more just money and prestige but rather becoming a more loving, caring, and more carefree person who is able to enjoy life with his family and to fully be a loving father to his children.
This mirrors the great change I feel I am going through now. My life is now an open book, ready to be completely rewritten. The forces of change are upon me and I have let go of the past to be taken where those forces shall carry me. Perhaps there is an analogy to the adventures on the rooftops of London, or the leap into the chalk drawing on the sidewalk – experiences of that sort which are entertaining and yet so filled with meaning, reflection, and ultimately resulting in transformation.
I search for those experiences now.
Is there a Mary Poppins in your life?