Mary Poppins

Braden and I watch Mary Poppins today. I had literally not seen that movie since I was a child. It is such an interesting experience when that happens. Your memory of the movie usually is quite different than what is really on the screen. The child's mind sees things differently.

It turns out that I remembered the movie quite well. I remembered the plot pretty well. I think as a kid most of the underlying themes went right over my head. The songs were pretty well filled with big, English and quite old fashion words. I couldn't remember if I had understood the lyrics as a kid and I was not sure that Braden understood any of it either.

At the beginning of the movie Mrs. Banks has just come home from a suffragette meeting/rally.... and she sings these words about the cause

"Our daughters daughters will adore us. And they'll sing in grateful chorus. Well done, sister suffragette"

Those words stuck with me. I kept wondering... are we grateful? Do we really understand what they sacrificed.... can we even imagine the world that they lived in?

Although Mrs. Banks is a fictional character... I felt bad while I watched her. Realizing that the situation between generations is a bit like the relationship between parents and their children. It is impossible to fully appreciate the gifts from one to the other. All we can do is learn not to squander what we have been given.

In the end the movie proved a bit long for Braden, but he seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. And like always my favorite part was the penguins in the chalk drawing.... even after all these years.