Saturday's Songs for the Soul: PBS, Tom Hanks & The Dave Clark Five's Glad All Over

Thought for the Day: This week I viewed a PBS special showing of the induction of the Dave Clark Five into the Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame. On the show, Tom Hanks presented the award to the band. The entire show was wonderful and if it is broadcast on your PBS station I would highly recommend it. Because of the show I chose a song that I might not have chosen before hearing Tom Hanks speak about this group. I remember the excitement surrounding the British Invasion of The Beatles and The Dave Clark Five, but realized while listening as an adult and a psychologist, that their songs were truly songs for the soul....

Friday's Fabulous Finds: Saving Mr. Banks: The Therapeutic Value of Creative Writing

Thought for the Day: Somehow life around the holidays gets a bit hectic and I did not have time to post yesterday. Today, is also going to be a busy day, but I want to post at least one find for the week. 

     I went to see the Disney movie, Saving Mr. Banks, with Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as PL Travers. I had not heard much about the movie, but knew it was about the classic film Mary Poppins. I expected a children's movie; however, I would not recommend it for young children. If you do not mind seeing a tear jerker and want an insightful look at the life story and psychology of the author of the Mary Poppins, it is well worth seeing. It clearly exemplifies the therapeutic value of creative writing. Great writers for adults or children must touch universal emotions in their stories to connect with readers. In order to do so, at times it touches unexpected memories and uncovers unfinished business from childhood. When this happens, the result is so personal that they may have difficulty sharing their stories with others. The movie depicts the painful process of adapting the author's personal story to the silver screen. Disney had the patience, perseverance and ability to recognize the importance of convincing the author to share her story with the world.