Mary Poppins

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good

work in you will bring it to completion at the day of

Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about

you all, because I hold you in my heart…”

{Philippians 1:6-7}

It was a beautiful evening in mid-May. I had just returned home from college for the summer less than a week before and was relishing the time with my family. On this particular night, my mom and I were sitting outside watching my brothers play baseball in the backyard. During a lull in our conversation, my mom said, “As I watched you playing baseball with the boys earlier today, I couldn’t help but think that you reminded me of Mary Poppins.” I smiled as I told her that that sounded like a poem I would enjoy writing. This poem is a romanticized (and sometimes grossly exaggerated) account of my first week at home this summer, as well as a reminder to my family of how much I love them.

She arrived at the house in a strange sort of way

With her things in a van and her clothes packed away.

What a nuisance for the Gos, for now what would they do

With their newest addition and all her stuff, too?

The garage was soon piled from ceiling to floor

With a microwave, school stuff and clothing galore.

But that spilled to the house as she unpacked each thing.

The Gos wondered, “Oh what will the next few weeks bring?”

Her clothes soon exploded in Rebecca’s clean room;

The Gos only hoped she would pick it up soon.

The Oreo ice cream cake was now split six-way—

Why had David waited to celebrate his birthday?

On top of all this, when the boys asked her to play,

She said, “I have to unpack; maybe another day.”

So the two played alone with their bat and their ball

And wondered why she had bothered to come home at all.

But the very next day, she did not seem the same;

Even Father and Mother had noticed the change.

It began when she surprised them with a breakfast of scones

And told them how happy she was to be home.

She washed all the dishes, made the kitchen look nice,

She’d decided that just the scones didn’t suffice.

She made sausage, brought juice to suit Father’s taste

And had not forgotten to attend church in her haste.

When the brothers played ball, she was cheering them on;

She curled Becca’s hair for the Saturday prom.

She put food on the table, and before it grew dark,

She was seen playing ball with the boys at the park.

Said Mother, “It seems Mary Poppins is here!

How lovely it is that she chose to appear.

She plays with the children and cleans up the home—

No better nanny has the world ever known.”

And, like Mary Poppins, her time there would flee—

Although it’s not as long as they’d like it to be.

She brings joy to the family, and when summer is through,

She’ll depart—for elsewhere there’s much work to do.

They wished she would be there each day of the year;

Her aim while at home was always so clear:

To make sure that each day with the Gos was well spent—

To serve them and show them what Jesus’ love meant.

Mary Poppins always will be in their heart

(Although she was not so welcome at the start).

She loved them so dearly, and they always would be

Her beloved and treasured family.