Reason to SMILE #93: MARY POPPINS
Ten Life lessons learned from Mary Poppins (other than the whole “life is too short; spend time with the people you love” lesson):
- Give things (and people) a chance before you make a judgment – “Never judge things by their appearance… even carpetbags. I’m sure I never do.”¹
- Always be a forward thinker – “Oh, I make it a point never to give references – a very old-fashioned idea to my mind.”
- Be content with what you have – “Enough is as good as a feast.”
- You can always find something to be thankful for or there’s always a silver lining – “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and – SNAP – the job’s a game.”
- Men always make things more complicated than they need to be – “Bert, what utter nonsense!” (After Bert attempts to do “a bit o’ magic” and jump into the chalk drawing) “Why do you always complicate things that really are quite simple?”
- When in doubt, plead the Fifth – “First of all, I would like to make one thing quite clear…. I never explain anything.”
- Anxiety/stage fright/a loss for words can all be overcome (or at least sidelined for a while) – “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
- Learn to accept each other’s faults and be forgiving – “Sometimes a person we love, through no fault of their own, can’t see past the end of his nose.”
- Laughter and SMILES are contagious – “Oops. Don’t you two start. Come back down here.” (Grabbing on to Jane and Michael who begin to float away after being infected by Uncle Albert’s fit of laughter)
- When you have to go, the best way is with a SMILE on your face – “Father died laughing…. never seen him happier in his life.” (spoken by Mr. Dawes, Jr., bank exec.)
Yes, it is a children’s movie. Yes, it is a musical. But I love it and it makes me SMILE. Whether you like it or not, its message is true. Life is short. Get out there and enjoy it with the ones you love. Go ride a carousel. Go feed the birds. Go exploring on rooftops. Go fly a kite. You’ll never regret the SMILES you find while spending time with those you hold dear.
¹All quotes found on imdb.com
Image courtesy of http://www.deviantart.com/art/Mary-Poppins-567347314
A Couple of Stars and a Happy Face 