A Girl From Oz A Boy From Gotham

A little girl met a tin man, a scarecrow, a cowardly Lion, a dog named Toto, and Dorothy Gale. The girl in question was my wife, and today is the anniversary of the publication of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz in 1900. Ironically the famous movie would come out in 1939, the same year Batman was created.

These two seemingly unrelated events have a very important connection in the Pruitt household. A girl from Oz and a boy from Gotham very quickly can tell you their significance. These characters have been we’ll loved companions for both of us through the years.

For my wife, who had several health challenges since she was eleven years old, this story was a huge comfort to her. To Ashley, it’s more than just a story, it’s a friend who carried her through very hard times. She married a man who understands that, because of a certain Bruce Wayne.

When I think of Oz, my first thought though I watched it often as a child, isn’t of Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, and Margaret Hamilton. It’s of a beautiful woman with a joy that is more magical than anything Hollywood could conjure up.

Yet all of those people in question, are part of my wife’s story. I would encourage every spouse to relearn their loved one’s story regularly. Most likely you will hear something new, but even if you don’t, your spouse will realize you’re still interested in their story.

I knew a lot about Oz pre-Ashley, but I know a whole lot more now. If it matters to your spouse, I suggest it should matter to you. In the movie they were ruby slippers, but in the book they were silver. Why do I care, because ruby shoes make my wife sparkle, silver ones don’t.

Making the girl from Oz happy is one of my primary goals. It tells her that I love her enough to go to travel all the way to Oz for her. An it makes her say, “There’s no place like home.”