As I washed the breakfast dishes this morning, I looked out the window and noticed the swift breeze rustling through the trees.  “This would be a great day to go fly a kite, guys,” I said to my boys.

The inspiration was clearly in my soul, as I had listened to that very song, “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” from Mary Poppins, twice in the last two days.  Last night, we hosted a virtual event with our theatre company, looking back at all the shows we’ve produced over the last five years.  It was a glorious walk down memory lane, and I have a very full heart this morning.  

The second show we produced was Mary Poppins and one of my dearest friends played Bert. He’s an incredible storyteller and he sang a bit of “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” for the online event.  Even through a computer screen, it was captivating. There was so much joy in our Zoom Room last night as the audience swayed and sang along with him.  He even made a quick trip to the store and bought a small kite to use as a prop.  It felt so magical.

And here it was, the first thing on my mind this morning as the wind whistled outside.  That’s what I love about live theatre.  The actual performances of the stories and songs are fleeting.  It takes years of training, months of preparation and days of rehearsal.  Then it happens in an instant, and it’s over.  But the magic lingers longer.  The feelings evoked and the thoughts created stay with you long past the fall of the curtain…even a virtual one.

And the feelings that Mary Poppins stirs up for me are pretty powerful.  I loved the film version as a child.  Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke; those incredible sequences of live-action with animation; plus all the magical tricks.  What was not to love?

But as an adult, revisiting Mary Poppins to direct it for our theatre company was a whole new experience.  And as a working parent, whoa, that story can hit you hard.  I identify so much with both George and Winifred Banks.  

As a “George,” I  (along with my husband) try to provide for our family, set an example for our kids, and show them the value of hard work and perseverance.  As a “Winifred” (and probably like many other mamas out there), I try to navigate what the world tells me about what a mom “should” do or be, even if my own definition of that feels different.  And as a working mom, I try hard (and feel like I’m failing most of the time) at being everything to everyone.  I strive daily for that elusive work/life balance, knowing full well that when work has my full attention, my children do not.  So, when I spend time with my children, I try so hard to actually be present and not think about the unanswered emails or unfinished work projects.  It’s not easy.  And, I’m far from “practically perfect” at it.  

Thankfully, we have our own version of a Mary Poppins – our beloved nanny, Ms. Jo.  You might remember my mention of her when we decided to take the leap to full-time homeschooling.  She is so much of the reason we can do this, because she is with us to take care of some of the schooling and a lot of the other adventures for the kids so that we can continue to maintain our work schedule simultaneously.  And, we also have several “Berts,” too.  Those would be our parents – the kids’ grandparents –  who lovingly whisk them away to all sorts of “jolly holidays.” 

And just like in the story, our Mary and our Berts teach us just as much as they teach the children.  From our Mary (Ms. Jo), we have learned patience, the power of really listening to the children, and turning any everyday activity into an adventure that feels like you’re “over the rooftops.”  From our Berts (our parents) we’ve learned how precious time is.  Watching them feel like kids again with our kids and telling us in whispers, “slow down…it goes so fast..they will be grown up before you know it…you’ll blink and wonder where the time went.”

It reminds me of my favorite scene in Mary Poppins – Act II, Scene 9 in the musical to be exact.  Bert and George have an emotional exchange.  And even when I got my script out this morning to re-read it, my eyes welled with tears.  Bert sings to George:

“You’ve got to grind, grind, grind at that grindstone.

Though childhood slips like sand through a sieve.

And all too soon they’ve up and grown, and then they’ve flown

And it’s too late for you to give…

Just that spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down…”

“A Man Has Dreams” from Mary Poppins (Richard & Robert Sherman, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe)

It is a balancing act, no doubt. We have work expectations, societal expectations, expectations from family and friends.  But, if I’m learning anything through this pandemic pause, it is that it is more than okay to find our own way.  It is okay to do things differently than we’ve done before, or differently than the way we feel might be “expected” of us.  And along the way we might even surprise ourselves.  Just as Mary sings later on in the show:

“Things you thought impossible will soon seem certain.

Thought at first it may sound clownish

See the world more upside-downish

Turn it on its head, then pirouette it

Anything can happen, if you let it.”

“Anything Can Happen” from Mary Poppins (Richard & Robert Sherman, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe)

Welp, it’s getting misty in here again.  Thank you Mary and Bert…both the ones in the story and the ones in our real life.  Now, it’s time to close this laptop and go fly a kite.

Journey On.