Who are we calling Wicked?

The bigger the front, the bigger the back.

Last night's family trip to see Wicked turned into an unexpected lesson about privilege, power.

What struck me wasn't the spectacle (though it was pretty spectacular!) – it was watching my boys grok the truth at the heart of the story: the most powerful humans are often the ones society tries hardest to ground.

Think about it:

🪄 The "good" witch maintains her power by making others small

👑 The "great" wizard rules through smoke and mirrors

✨ But Elphaba? She has real power – which is exactly why everyone tries to clip her wings

"It's funny," my 8-yr old said as we left, "everyone felt sorry for her being different. But she was the strongest one all along."

Driving home, we talked about why hurt people hurt people. How insecure leaders maintain control by drawing bright lines between "good" and "evil." Why those with (REAL) power often become scapegoats for others' insecurities.

It felt like the perfect moment to let them in on one of life's biggest secrets: the bigger the front, the bigger the back.

Elphaba shows us the opposite is also true: once you tap your authentic power, there's no front to maintain.

And that kind of courage? It's contagious. 🕊️