The Beaute Beyond – Week 4: When the Story Comes Full Circle

What does the Wizard of Oz mean to me?
Honestly… everything.

It’s the feeling of being lost.
Wanting acceptance.
Wanting to be seen.
Wanting to go home.
Finding courage.
Finding beauty.
Finding your place in the world.
And fighting for what you believe in, even when people don’t understand you.

Eight weeks ago, I didn’t know this blog series would become the emotional roadmap for the hardest season my family has faced. But here we are, full circle, standing in the middle of a story I’ve loved my whole life, finally understanding why it’s always mattered.

Because the truth is, our family went from a normal, predictable, everyday routine into what felt like a Halloween horror special! One fright after another. Hospitals. Sleepless nights. Exams. Shuttle-driving kids. Managing pain. Working from home. Carrying everything and everyone. And still finding enough light to get to Graduation night, wheelie-walker and all, and the strength to keep going when exhaustion pulled at every part of me.

And yet somehow we made it through. Just like the characters we’ve been travelling with.

Wicked for Good - The Movie That Completed the Journey

There was one moment in the movie that absolutely broke me.
Elphaba standing there, sacrificing herself, while Glinda hides behind the door clutching the spell book.

It was the moment Elphaba chose to let her only friend go, not out of abandonment, but out of love. So Glinda could finally become who she was meant to be without the pressure of perfection. So she could lead the people of Oz with kindness instead of image.

And yes… tears were shed.

Wicked for Good wove every character into their origins with emotion I didn’t expect:

• Fiyero - torn between kindness and expectation

• Nessa - consumed by power

• Buck - turned into the Tin Man through a spell gone wrong

• The Wizard - hiding truth behind charm, and a daughter

• Madam Morrible - twisting stories to manipulate a whole city

• The Lion - the same cub Elphaba once saved from a cage

• And Glinda - finally seeing through the lies and act she portrayed to choose truth

The most powerful thread? The danger of public persuasion.
People believed what they were told, not what was true.
Elphaba wasn’t wicked. She was misunderstood. She was lied about. She was judged and portrayed by the evil we saw in others power.

In the face of celebrations, in her own grief, Glinda found strength to admit they were friends. And with that she earnt respect.

The Real Life Parallel

We all face a version of this story, especially during our school years.
Friendship challenges. Rumours people make up - usually to hide something painful in their own life.
People forming opinions based on someone else’s story instead of checking the facts.
Believing lies instead of listening or even asking for the truth.

If you’re lucky enough to avoid this at school, you’ll probably find it in the workplace or a club you join. We are inquisitive people, but we’re also so afraid to speak truthfully to each other. Journalists are wise to protect their sources. We should be wise enough to not throw speculation over friends and colleagues but instead seek the truth from a source we know. We all deserve someone who finds the truth before they form the judgement.

Just like Glinda did.
Just like Elphaba wanted.
Just like we want for our kids.

There’s No Place Like Home

Home isn’t a building. It’s not spotless floors or folded washing.

It’s your people.
It’s where you laugh, cry, yell, plan, argue, reminisce and recover.
It’s where things get lost and found again.

It’s where you dream of holidays and then live them out.
It’s where you watch TV together, share meals, stumble through chaos, and find comfort in each other's presence.

Home is safety.
Home is memory.
Home is future.
Home is belonging.
Home is us.

And after the weeks we’ve had, that phrase hit differently.
There really is no place like home.

The Beaute Connection

This blog series wasn’t about buttons or makeup but it still taught me one thing:
“self-care, in any form, is what gives us the ability to keep going”.

A clean face, a moment alone, a pair of scissors, a touch of colour, some beautiful words, a song on the radio, a cup of tea, a smile, a walk on the beach or around the block, one long breath - that’s often all we need to feel human again.

Wrap Up … And What I Hope You Take With You

As this blog series comes to an end, here’s what I hope you carry with you:

That you define home for yourself.
That you build a safe place inside your life and inside your mind.
That you embrace self-care, whatever that looks like for you.
That you believe in yourself on the days you feel like you can’t.
That you protect your heart, your truth, and your magic.

Because storms will come.
Fear will return.
Life will knock the breath out of you.

But you will rise again.
You will rest, rebuild, and bounce back, better, stronger, together.
And when you forget your courage, your heart, or your mind…you’ll know exactly where to find them.

Right here.
At home.

“You’ve had the power all along, my dear.” – Glinda