It’s a love song composer Stephen Schwartz has called the “heart of the show.”

“For Good,” from the Broadway musical “Wicked,” is sung by Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, and was inspired by the close relationship between Schwartz’s daughter and her good friend.

“If you knew that you were never going to see Sarah again and you had one chance to say goodbye to her and tell her what she has meant in your life, what would you say?” Schwartz asked his daughter. Her answer, he says, became the first verse of the song. The popular Broadway musical opens May 30 at the Schuster Center in Dayton. Inspired by this hit song, an “I Have Been Changed for Good” contest, sponsored by the Victoria Theatre, offered dinner and free tickets to the most touching story submitted by the public. Applicants were asked to share the ways in which someone special has changed their lives for good.

Submissions lauded friends, spouses, children and teachers. Not surprisingly, in honor of today, many paid tribute to mothers, grandmothers and other mother figures.

The winning entry came from Jeff Letcher of Washington Twp., who lost his birth mother when he was a child and wrote to tell about the two other women who have served as mothers to him in the years since.

“When I was 10 years old, my mother passed away suddenly, turning the world of my brother, father and I upside down,” Letcher wrote. “We were fortunate enough to be living in the same city as my grandparents who immediately took us in as if we had been living with them for years.”

His grandmother, he says, became an instant mom, easing the pain felt by Jeff and his brother. Later, his father met and married an “amazing” lady.

“She instantly became ‘mom’ No. 3, and even though she had never been married before, it was as if she had always been a wife and mother to us from day one — from living alone to living with three boys overnight,” Letcher says. “She eventually adopted my brother and I to make everything ‘official’ and now that my father has passed away, she is my only remaining parent.”

Letcher says he owes so much his current mom and his grandmother.

“They truly kept my life going through very difficult years and I feel they were the main contributors to who I am today.”

Moms changing lives for good every day

Author Marci Shimoff, who has written “Happy for No Reason” and “Love for No Reason” talks about a phenomenon called “emotional contagion.”

“It says that we catch the emotions of the people around us, just like we catch their cold,” she explains. “For children, the most influential person is their mother.”

If a mother models and practices positive habits, insists Shimoff, it will change their lives for good.

Practicing gratitude, she says, is one of them. That may be as simple as thinking of five things a day you’re grateful for and expressing them aloud. You can have your children do it, too. Forgiveness is another.

Words of gratitude for moms, grandmas

Alicia Boroff, 24, of Fort Recovery, was influenced by just that kind of love and compassion by a wonderful grandmother.

“She taught me from a very young age that everyone is unique and special, that there was no such thing as weird or odd, merely different in an exceptional way,” she says.

“It was with her I shared my run-ins with bullies — the girls that wanted to pick on me because I was more comfortable in a garage than in a beauty shop.”

Her grandmother also introduced her to the theater.

“I longed for an escape; my childhood wasn’t exactly the happiest when it came to a home life,” Alicia says. “I lost myself on that stage, with my grandma sitting right in the middle of the front row. Every performance, every practice, every solo and every part, she was there to cheer me on and catch me when I’d fall.

“She made me comfortable with and love who I am, and instilled in me the confidence I still rely on to this day.”

Yvonnia Patrick of Huber Heights says her beloved grandmother’s eyes would light up the moment she spied her granddaughter.

Now Yvonnia sees those same eyes twinkling from the face of her own daughter.

“Never was she harsh,” she remembers. “Our time together was filled with laughter. She would wrap me tightly in her arms, making me feel like the world was a safe place after all.”

Changed for Good

Here are more excerpts from readers submitted in the Victoria Theatre’s “I Have Been Changed for Good” contest:

“My aunt, Glenda Glass, is a very special person to me. She has changed me for good. While I am only a college student now, I feel like she has been there for me my entire life. Growing up, it’s hard to fit in with your peers and all the challenges that kids face today, but my Aunt Glenda always provided a safe place for me and my family to hang out and relax. She has a beautiful house and pond where we could always camp and share fun stories around the fire, or karaoke until three in the morning. It’s a place of no judgment, no worries, and love where you’re always accepted.

“Glenda never turned away a single person. Even if she’d never met them, she’d embrace them in a huge hug and welcome them right into her home.

“My father and my Aunt Glenda’s mother died of cancer when they were very young. Glenda became the mother of the group. She was strong and had to grow up quickly, despite the challenges of her youth. She’s the foundation of the family.

“She never judges anyone based on their past or the color of their skin — even be it green. Every day, I find myself becoming a better person because I knew her. So I suppose that you could say that my Aunt Glenda is none other than the real ‘Glenda the Good.’ ”

— Alexandra Bowling, Sidney

“My mother was a very talented artist, a painter and a Venetian Glass artist. I was very discouraged after trying to take painting classes at art schools. I told her I was a terrible artist. She said I was talented, that I just had to keep trying to find my niche.

“After my daughter went to college, I started taking classes at a local arts center. In my 50s, I became quite good at a variety of jewelry-making techniques.... My pieces won placement at the student shows. Before I knew it, I did find my niche, my talent. I gained a new sense of confidence, knowing my mother was right. I felt I was changed for good.”

— Anita Heras, Dayton