There's a reason why certain movies become classics that are loved and appreciated from generation to generation. It's because they are just flipping awesome. Movies like Mary Poppins, for example ... flipping, flipping, flipping awesome movie. From the time she arrives on the wind via her magic umbrella until the time she leaves in the same manner, Mary Poppins introduces the children whom she is caring for, Jane and Michael, to a world of adventure and fun and imagination they had never known before, while at the same time teaching them self-discipine and responsibility. There are so many great scenes in the movie ... think stepping into one of Mary's friend Bert's chalk paintings and spending an afternoon in a picturesque world filled with merry-go-rounds, outdoor bistros with penquins as waiters, fox hunts and horse races. There are so many great words in the movie ... think "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, in the most delightful way," "Kindly do not attempt to cloud the issue with facts," "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun ...you find the fun, and the job's a game," and my all-time favorite of course, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Without a doubt, however, the absolute, coolest, most awesomest thing about Mary Poppins was her bag ... her great big carpet bag full of wonderful, useful, magical, whimsical stuff.
There are many things about my friend Debbie that make me love her ... her faith, her sense of humor, her giant and generous heart ... but it's her loyalty and commitment to her family and friends that humbles and inspires me. I've known Debbie for 20 years, and though we've had a few differences along the way, she has been and continues to be one of my most devoted and caring friends. We may go weeks without seeing one another, but we text or talk on the phone just about every day. Debbie truly is one of those forever friends ... you know the ones I'm talking about ... friends who are there for each another through thick and thin, friends who love each another no matter what, friends who encourage each other on the journey of life but never judge, friends who are forever friends in the truest sense of the word.
For all the times now that I have little to no appetite, there is one meal I still continue to enjoy and that's breakfast. I eat pretty much the same thing for that meal every day ... three over-medium eggs mixed with a spoonful of chive and onion cream cheese, and a glass of unsweetened almond milk with sugar-free chocolate syrup and a whopping scoop of protein powder. While I spend the rest of the day trying to convince myself to eat, I wake up each morning looking forward to my breakfast combo. Funny ... before diabetes, my breakfast of choice was two or three brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tarts warmed in the toaster and then slathered with butter. Gosh ... how things have changed for me in the food arena. Because I love my homecooked breakfast so much, it's rare for me to go to a restaurant to eat that particular meal. But once in a while ... once in a while, like yesterday, I meet Debbie at Cracker Barrel on a Saturday morning for breakfast.
We had only been sitting at the table for a few minutes when Debbie's awesome sense of humor made its appearance and had me laughing out loud. My hands are very rough and dry right now, so much so that my skin often cracks and bleeds. I meant to put lotion on my aching hands before I left the house yesterday morning, but in my hustle to get out the door, I forgot to do so. As I began to look over the Cracker Barrel menu, I asked Debbie if she had some hand lotion.
"I have lotion in my purse," she replied as she started digging through the giant bag sitting in the chair next to hers. Retrieving the lotion, she didn't miss a beat or blink an eye as she handed it to me across the table and said, "Women who carry purses always have lotion."
"Well, I have some in my car," I laughingly replied. "I always have lotion in my car."
Our food arrived, and we talked about her son who recently moved to Denver, about my now-walking little granddaughter, about God and work and life and death and cars and weather and everything in between. I love those kinds of meals with my friends ... laid-back, relaxed, chatty meals when I can just sit back and allow the wonder and blessing that is friendship to soak deep into my soul. Whether with old friends or new, I always leave those meals feeling refreshed in my spirit and focused on better appreciating the dear people in my life whom I love so much.
As happens to me so very often, several times as we were talking an idea for a blog post popped into my head. I've learned to write down those ideas when they come to me ... yep, my memory isn't what it used to be and I forget things pretty easily these days. I generally carry a pen and small notebook in my pocket for just that purpose ... writing things down as they come to me ... and yes, I recently purchased one of those fancy new smartphones and know that I could use it to store all my amazing and brilliant thoughts. I could, that is, if I could figure out how to do it. Never mind about the phone, back to not having a pen or paper yesterday to write down my blog ideas.
"You wouldn't happen to have a pen, would you?" I asked Debbie. "I don't have one with me, and I want to write down some ideas for my blog."
"I have a pen in my purse," Debbie said as a devilish grin crossed her face. "Women who carry purses always have pens."
"Well, I have one in my car," I retorted. "I always have a pen in my car."
"I'm sure you do," Debbie said as we both laughed at our differing ways of transporting such important things as lotion and pens.
"You're like Mary Poppins," I said with a lilt in my voice. "Next thing I know, you'll tell me you've got a lamp, a coat rack and a tape measure in there, too."
As I climbed into my car after breakfast to go to my appointment with the life-saving head doctor, I smiled as I thought about Debbie and her purse ... I smiled as I thought about Mary Poppins and her bag ... I smiled as I thought about friendship that grows and strengthens and accepts and loves. I smiled ... and I smiled ... and I smiled.
Thanks for being my forever friend, Deb ... you're a classic ... yep, you and Mary Poppins ... you gals are classics in all the ways that count the most.
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