Song from “Wicked,” “For Good,” Tells a Touching Story of Friendship

A few months after I lost a precious friend to suicide, one of my sisters took me to see a touring production of the Broadway musical “Wicked.” The musical is based on a novel of the same title by Gregory Maguire. In this retelling of “The Wizard of Oz,” Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, have secretly been best friends since they were roommates in college.

Credit: thedarkglobe.wordpress.com

As their lives lead them in drastically different directions, the two witches realize they must part from each other “For Good.” Their final song is a beautiful ballad expressing how profoundly their friendship has changed each of their lives. I’ve heard this song at least a hundred times, and it still brings tears to my eyes.

My favorite lines of the song are the opening ones, sung by Glinda:

“I’ve heard it said

That people come into our lives for a reason,

Bringing something we must learn.

And we are led to those who help us most to grow

If we let them,

And we help them in return.

Now, I don’t know if I believe that’s true

But I know I’m who I am today because I knew you.”

L. Frank Baum, author of “The Wizard of Oz”
(Credit: CBS news)

Like Glinda, I’m not sure I believe that the philosophy is true. It seems almost too neat in such a disorganized, often cruel world. But I do think we can make Glinda’s words true. Whenever a new person enters your life, ask yourself what you can learn from them and what they can learn from you.

Don’t waste time judging people on their clothes, or the color of their skin, or their politics or their sexual orientation. Look beyond all the outside characteristics to find what lies deep within. The person may have a hidden wisdom or kindness that you cannot see.

In the musical “Wicked,” Glinda and Elphaba are mistakenly placed together as college roommates. Glinda is the “perfect girl,” with a beautiful face and tons of friends. Elphaba’s skin is green and everyone sees her as a freak. She and Glinda do not hit it off well. In fact they declare in a musical number that they “loathe” each other.

But as they start to talk, Elphaba realizes that Glinda has more depth than she ever imagined, and Glinda learns that Elphaba has an unfailing sense of justice. Because they can look into each other’s lives and see each other more deeply, each takes something unique and lovely away from the relationship.

I’ve lost several people in my life, and in moments of intense grief, it always helps me to remember this song and to think about what I’ve learned, what I now hold in my heart, from the people I’ve lost. Each one of them has changed me…for good.