"Came along the corridor, her cap flying wide..." ~ Jane Eyre

A few months ago, I was sitting at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City surrounded by my sisters, my mother, and my grandmother. We went to see Mary Poppins, which turned out to be as magical as the movie. And I should know; I think I saw that movie at least 200 times as a child, along with my sisters. Oh, and my mother and grandmother, for they were always forced to watch it with us.

I became emotional during a scene I didn't expect, which was for the song "Lets Go Fly a Kite." I think it is because the song was repeated at the end of the film, when the Banks family was finally united after a period of strain and turmoil. No family is perfect, and mine has certainly seen itself through strain and turmoil, and thankfully we are all still a close, tight-knit unit.

In my heart, I longed for Jack during the show. He is still to young, but a part of me wished he was there. There is never a way to know if a child will appreciate the aspects of your childhood. The best you can do is expose them and hope. And that afternoon, I hoped that Jack would love Mary Poppins as much as his mother and aunts did.

I just didn't realize how soon that would be! And to what degree!

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon...

After hearing "Lets go Fly a Kite" from the soundtrack last month, my nephew has become enthralled with Miss Mary. Of course, he refers to her "Pop Pop." He also loves Bert and can say his name crystal clear, and he loves the Admiral in the film, who he calls "Ameral." His favorite scene from the movie is "Step In Time." I would say on the average day he watches that scene at least twenty times.

When he isn't watching the scene, enthralled, he is imitating Bert. Of late he has grabbed my sister's blush brush (clearly a smaller version of a chimney sweeper) and demands that we clap and sing the song so he can tap around the room like Bert.

So we were in the master bedroom yesterday and I was thinking of various slogans to say to the main chorus of the song as to keep things interesting. I watched him concentrate on his dancing like Bert and smiling as he imitated his idol. I cannot remember a time when I had more fun with him. It felt like nothing skipped a generation, and all that we loved as children came rushing back, renewed. It is like re-exploring old territories, but happier being there the second time around because you already know the bounty that is there.

At one point during our clapping and dancing, my eye caught a book sticking out of my sister's side table in the bedroom. It had a bookmark in it. The title? Mary Poppins Returns by P.L. Travers. I smiled inside and out.

Indeed, Miss Mary has returned to our lives. And as she would say, she is perfect in every single way...