A Spoonful of Sugar

On my down, chemo side-effect filled days, our daughter (a/k/a Finally Five) and I engage in one of our favorite SL activities: making a “fort” in our bed, piling in and watching a Silver Lining Movie.

At Finally Five’s request, today we watched the original Mary Poppins.

I was absolutely smitten watching Mary Poppins for the first time in decades.  Finally Five was equally enamored. She beamed, danced (a/k/a “busting a move”) and tried to replicate the British accents.

In addition to it being a generally fun and entertaining movie, there are wonderful life lessons that are as pertinent today as when the film debuted in 1964. The lessons we gleaned from Mary Poppins are Silver Lined in every way!

1. Make Work Fun: As Mary Poppins says, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and – SNAP – the job’s a game!” This philosophy is so true and will be incorporated our daily life, especially as Finally Five’s list of daily responsibilities grows (because she is Finally Five, after all!).
2. “Just Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine go Down, the medicine go down, the medicine go down. Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, in the most delightful way” so sings Mary Poppins. This could not be more true now. Sweet comes in all forms. Sometimes it’s homemade caramel ice cream and other days it is a visit with a friend or a walk around the yard with Finally Five and Buzz looking at new blooms. All of these things certainly help the chemo go down.
3. Be Authentic and Develop Your Own Voice. Mary Poppins wasn’t conventional. She wasn’t mainstream. When she wanted to do something, she did it. And she didn’t care one bit what others thought about her. She was creative and authentic. She was courageous. She made a statement in life. And she left her imprint on other people by adding value to their lives in her special way. How aspirational for young children and a wonderful reminder for grown-ups!
4. Be Impeccable with Your Word and Keep Your Promises. As is developmentally appropriate, making and keeping promises are a big deal for Finally Five, but especially so since my FBC diagnosis. As Mary Poppins said, “That’s a piecrust promise. Easily made, easily broken.” No piecrust promises in our home.
5. Laughing Makes you Float in the Air. Not too long after Mary joins the household, she receives an emergency message via a neighborhood dog. With the kids in tow, she visits Uncle Albert’s house to find him in a dreadful (or not so dreadful!) state: he’s laughing so hysterically that he is floating up by the ceiling! Throughout FBC, the HOTY (a/k/a The Husband of the Year) and I keep on laughing.  No matter what.  We laugh (hard!) everyday!
6. Develop an extraordinary capacity for generating adventures. Whether reading a book or traveling to far-flung destinations, adventures keep life fun and engaging.
7. Be flexible because the wind always changes. When the wind you’ve been hoping for starts blowing your way, fly!
8. Share your Good Fortune With Others. Mary tells the children of a little old lady who sits on the steps of the cathedral, selling crumbs to Feed the Birds for tuppence a bag. The children tell their father, who had never noticed the old lady before. Through his own set of events, the father eventually realizes that such a small amount of money can make a big difference to this lady and her birds. First we need to teach children to recognize need in the world and then to take part in relieving it.
9. Do Things Together as a Family The movie ends with Mary leaving as the children and their parents Go Fly A Kite together. The mother has left her all encompassing activist work, the father has quit his job, and the children have learned to make their own fun which produces a scene of familial restoration. Now, this isn’t a particularly realistic option, however, the overall lesson of doing things together as a family (however one defines family) is poignant. How can one help but leave this movie resolving to be a more involved parent, to be aware of the world beyond one’s everyday life, and to approach every aspect of life with humor and a good attitude (Silver Lining)?

I happen to think that Mary Poppins is incredibly chic.  She shares with us some fashion tips as well:

1. Wear well-tailored jackets.
2. Accessorize.
3. Always have an umbrella on hand, preferably one that is scalloped.
4. Don a beautiful hat.
5. Carry an enormous bag.

Wishing you a SL’d, adventure-filled with a loved one!

Oh, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious, if you say it loud enough, you’ll always sound precocious.

– Mary Poppins