Let's Go Fly a Kite-

 One of my favorite movies that I've seen recently is "Saving Mr. Banks". On the surface it is the story of the making of Mary Poppins, but it is so much more than that. It is the story of P.L. Travers and her relationship with her father.

 

Her father is an imperfect man with many demons. But she adores him, she loves him, and she cherishes every moment with him. In the end, he greatly disappoints her and she carries the scars with her into her adult years. Still the little girl longing for her father...

 

One of my favorite moments in the show is when they sing "Let's Go Fly a Kite". The creative team tells Mrs. Travers how Mr. Banks will come back to the family and mend the kite. After a joyous rendition of the song, she plainly states- "He mends it."
Later in the movie there is a scene where Walt Disney (portrayed by Tom Hanks) is explaining why it is important to make Mary Poppins into movie. He talks about forgiveness and how P.L. Travers (portrayed by Emma Thompson) needs to forgive herself. That sadness is all around us, but we choose what we remember. This does not mean neglecting the reality of what happened. But, we decide if the kite is mended. One of the final scenes in the movie is Mrs. Travers watching the movie premiere with tears running down her cheeks as she lets go of the guilt and Mr. Banks mends and flies the kite- something her father was never able to do for her.

When I was a little girl, I adored my father- there was not a more handsome, talented or wonderful man that could possibly exist. He meant the world to me. But, he was imperfect and made some life-altering choices that had lasting consequences. He broke my young heart and it has taken many years to mend it. And there were times I blamed myself, there were times I longed for it all to be different, times I just didn't understand.

He's gone now and has been for over ten years.

And what do I choose to remember? I choose to think about the good, I choose to remember the man I loved. I choose to mend and fly the kite for myself because he will never be able to. So, I have to do it for myself and that has to be enough.

Let's go fly a kite...