Thirteen years ago, I was speaking with a patient about our favorite movie and I said that mine was clearly “The Wizard of Oz”. At their next visit they brought me a Wizard of Oz plate, which I immediately hung in a treatment room. This became the center of much conversation and learned that most loved the story of “Oz” and the many lessons learned from the story. I decided to decorate my office with the “Oz” theme and the more I put on the walls, the more “Oz” gifts patients gave me to make the office even more “Oz-some”.

What I find magical about “The Wizard of Oz” is how it has stood the test of time and one of the few classics that young children watch time and time again. It seems that each time I speak with someone about “Oz” they get a smile on their face and talk about their favorite part. This is the center of my passion for this movie: making one feel good and smile as well as learning many of life's lessons when you look deeper into each character. Most remarkable is the Scarecrow who was searching for a brain when in reality, he was the wisest of the bunch and made almost all the decisions along The Yellow Brick Road with the Tin Man, the Lion, and Dorothy. What he lacked was not brains but confidence in himself, which we see too often around us each day. And let's not forget the Wicked Witch who all feared so much, but melted as easily as ice when exposed the most simple of elements, water! It is like those who are the most difficult and frightening in life are typically acting this way to protect their own fears and not expose their weaknesses. 

On several occasions I have had the opportunity to meet many of the actual Munchkins and was amazed that even though the movie was filmed in 1939, they continued to live the story of “Oz” helping many along their Yellow Brick Roads. As my parents always taught me, and I believe with all my heart, “There's No Place Like Home”, as was so well said by Dorothy just before leaving “Oz”.

“If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with!”