Why We Love Mary Poppins

All around the cathedral, the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares
Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares

I was riveted last evening by the Broadway performance of Mary Poppins, and what's even better, I got to meet the incredible performer, Caroline Sheen, who plays Mary on the American tour! You never know the blessings that will come your way when you decide to follow your heart and show you care. I got to meet this wonderful actress and person because I volunteer at Big Cat Rescue, a sanctuary devoted to the care of abandoned, abused, neglected, and orphaned exotic cats. Most of the main cast had come out for a tour of Big Cat Rescue last week, and Caroline liked it so much she came out for a second tour, and I was fortunate enough to be there when she did. Amazingly, this talented cast seemed to be just as riveted by our cats and their stories as we all were by their awesome performances on the stage.

I found myself surprised at how emotional I became during some moments of the show. I told myself that it is because I recently lost my mother, and she is the one who really helped me appreciate Mary Poppins when I was a kid. The character has been one of my heroes ever since, so I supposed that I was just having an unexpected moment of grief. But I was not the only one who was moved. It was all I could do to keep from openly sobbing during the "Feed the Birds" number, and I noticed that my husband was sniffling, and so was the teenaged girl sitting on the other side of me. I suppose some would say that we are sappy and sentimental, and more than a few would accuse those of us who love this story, movie, and production of simply pandering to the common emotional manipulations of mass-marketed show tunes. No doubt with some popular movies and shows, this criticism would have some legitimacy.

But I think sometimes the masses are on to something. I think sometimes we flock to these performances because we recognize something truly worthy within them, some kind of beauty that we know is reflected in ourselves. "Feed the Birds" was my mother's favorite song from the film, and I don't think I have appreciated it until now. The simplicity of the message coupled with the grandeur of the cathedral and the ever watchful eyes of the saints and apostles stirs something deep within us. It's the kind of thing that brings tears to your eyes, not because you have just witnessed something heartbreaking or sad, but because it reminds you of some long forgotten truth, or of some place you once called home and only now you see just how far you have wandered from it. An old beggar woman begs for money not for herself, but for a flock of birds that some people cast off as pests, and it actually seems to make her happy. What a concept.

I remember once, years ago, meeting a woman who claimed to have had a near-death experience while undergoing plastic surgery on her nose. She was a very funny lady. I remember her saying, "Can you believe I paid for this nose and almost died for it? Before I looked like Jamie Farr, now I look like Bob Hope." Somewhere in her mid 50's, when I told her I was 25, she told me I was just a baby. I had to reach the age of 40 before I understood what she meant. There were a couple of things about her experience that stood out to me. I remember her talking about "them" or "they." She kept saying things like, "They love you, no matter what you do." She never told me who "they" were and the reader will probably find it very frustrating that I never thought to ask. Also, she said, "Little things, like being kind to animals, are really important." Having already begun a journey of deep concern over the way I had seen helpless creatures being treated, I was moved and inspired by this statement, just as I am moved and inspired by this song.

I can't always explain why I know it is so important to care for the helpless and speak for the voiceless, I just know that it is. I think there is a gentleness that lies within all of us, and I feel a sense of urgency to move towards healing when I witness someone betraying that gentleness by exploiting the most vulnerable beings under our collective wing. It is because I believe it is natural for people to care that I must do something when I see them behaving as if they don't. It is because I know that bestowing love upon creatures that seem insignificant can bring us great joy and satisfaction that I spend so much time trying to move other people towards expressions of that joy.

Life is simple. We are the ones who are making it complicated. While we may think the worst fate of all is to end up a beggar in the street, perhaps the bird woman is on to something. If she has the power to act on her best instincts, so do we all. "All it takes is tuppence from you."

Though her words are simple and few
Listen, listen, she's calling to you
Feed the birds, tuppence a bag
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag

Sharyn Beach