To say I am a fan of the Wizard of Oz would be an understatement. I have fond memories of waiting for it to come on television each year. The wonder I had as the door of Dorothy’s house opens into the land of technicolour…the land of Oz!
When I was 11, our school put on the play the Wizard of Oz. I was cast as the Good Witch of the North. And although I said the famous line, “You’ve always had the power,” I didn’t really understand its full meaning until much later in life. You are the key!
Shortly after moving to Niagara in 1995, I read a very interesting book about the land of Oz. A completely different perspective. Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Untold Story of the Wicked Witch of the West. I fell in love with the book. Perspective is everything. Elphaba is a young girl growing up in a very different Oz. Where Glinda and Elphaba are friends. I remember being so profoundly emotional when we find out that even her own tears burn her skin. It taught me that every person has a story that is untold.
Eventually, the book became a musical. My sister in law bought me the sound track for Christmas. I listened to it over and over again!! Defying Gravity! With the movie version of Wicked now out, the land of Oz is once again in the media.
In early December, I couldn’t sleep. I put on Defying Gravity because Emilie had told me about her favourite line and I couldn’t remember it from the song. And then I heard it…unlimited.
Could it be? But we are born with limitations. Boundaries are limited and they give us structure. I knew it was my word for 2025 and I also knew I needed to define it for myself.
It means to live in a way that supports the unlimited use of my energy and gifts. Taking care of what is mine and allowing others to live in their definition of unlimited. To work within boundaries that support my growth both personally and professionally. It means moving through the year with more freedom. It means to allow this definition of unlimited to grow and evolve as it needs to as 2025 progresses. I will keep you updated as things grow and change.
