In 1961 , a full 23 years later , she finally sold the rights to the story , trusting a man who had more depth than she originally thought . He wasn ’ t simply extravagant castles and flying elephants ; he had a deep care for quality .
Many of us saw this drama play out in the 2013 film , Saving Mr . Banks . All throughout the film , I was rooting for Travers to give the rights to Disney . If she hadn ’ t , we ’ d consider her the villain , after all .
In August 1964 , Walt Disney ’ s take on Mary Poppins was released . Julie Andrews floated out of the sky and into our hearts . A classic film was born .
OUR WORLD : In my early 20s , I was a summer intern at a church in Battle Creek , Michigan . There , I met a woman named Teresa . Teresa was different from the rest of the people I knew . She dressed in Victorian style , even though it was the 21st century .
The friendship began after an event I had planned for the teenagers hadn ’ t gone well . She called me at my office to encourage me . I learned , in that conversation , that she saw the world much like I do . We were kindred spirits .
The truth is , I almost missed knowing Teresa . It took her making that phone call for me to actually see her . I thought I had nothing in common with someone who dressed in flowing Victorian gowns , but I was wrong . She became a mentor and lifelong friend .
Teresa once told me that we needed to be “ good stewards ” of the information that people gave us .
I think that ’ s what P . L . Travers was feeling . She needed to know that Walt would be a good steward of Mary Poppins . Much like Julie Andrews did , Travers eventually saw the depth in Walt Disney ’ s spirit .
The challenge for us is to look deeply when we meet people . At first glance , they may not seem twinkly , bubbly , or even worthy of trusting with our stories . We would do well to explore their souls and look a little deeper .
BY BRIAN MCCUMSEY
Julie Andrews on opening day of Walt Disney World . PHOTO BY NBC VIA GETTY IMAGES