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Thursday, January 31, 2008

Why "The Sound of Music Makes Me Cry"

I realize I'm not the only person who cries during this classic film. As I posted earlier on this blog, I've been watching this movie repeatedly lately as it's become a favorite of my lovely daughter. The moment that gets to me (and I'm assuming you've seen the movie because, uhm, who hasn't?) is shortly after they've all fallen out of the boat, when Julie Andrews starts telling the Captain what kind of people his children are.

This short conversation tells the audience that this governess who hasn't been with these children for that long recognizes the personalities and emotional needs of these kids better than their own father. And this is why he falls in love with her. He'd become emotionally removed from his children and this woman came into his home, told them who they were and enabled him to see them as people. She was able to meet their emotional needs and in so doing, met his needs as well.

This affects me because I like to think I'm the sort of person who can meet people's emotional needs. Not everybody can. Some people are great business people, athletes, comediens, teachers. They do their best to meet the needs of the people in their lives and they do okay, but they're not as good at it as other people. I've met C's needs, I've tried to meet the needs of all three of his children. For the most part, I think I've succeeded.

And still he doesn't appreciate it. He thinks nothing of the fact that Eliza is such a happy, confident, fully loving child. He doesn't even notice what I've done or tried to do for his older kids. Instead he focuses on the cleanliness of the house, the fact that my presence costs him money, that I don't cook for him and his older kids (they're vegetarians and very picky) enough.

I only want to be loved for who I am. Not picked on for what I'm not. There is value in being a caring, compassionate, considerate person. I'm am not just some loser without a job.

Julie Andrews plays a former nun. He loves her because she's a kind person. I want to be loved because I'm a good person and a good mother as well.

1 comment:

heiresschild said...

i'm raising my hand because i've never seen the sound of music although i know the music from it. wow! i'm almost embarrassed--almost.

i agree with your last statement--you should be loved for being who you are, and i pray the love you desire will come into, and be a part of your life.