Perhaps because I am in my 50s, I am not ashamed to admit my love of musicals and musical theater. Actually, I more than likely would have admitted to this love even in my 20s or 30s. Whether it’s a stage musical on Broadway or Off-Broadway or a movie musical or even simply a performance of live music, I am definitely all in when it comes to taking in musical talent. For me, I love the way music can tell a story. Throw in some choreography and I’m pretty much your target audience.
I remember when we brought our first girl home from the hospital and we discovered the joy of watching shows like Glee and American Idol. I’m fairly certain we started watching American Idol sporadically before then, but it was during our girl’s first year in 2008, when sleeping was a challenge for her and we tended to rock and hold her for the early part of the night that we dove in completely to the show. But I was even more smitten with Glee filled with its triple threats of talent in acting, singing, and dancing. Given that live entertainment was for me at that point a few cities and several years out of our grasp, these musical interludes provided a fine substitute when it came to musical performances. They were also a fine substitute for sleep during those early years with both our babies.
As I’ve watched our girls navigate and move through their teen years, I’ve found myself considering not necessarily the storylines of Glee but the many talented folks who filled roles on that show. In fact, that is where I first watched Jonathan Groff in all his triple threat glory. When I look at our girls, I see two remarkable young women who just as much as any Glee cast member bring their own triple threat versions to this life. While they may not be musical theater stars who can sing, dance, and act, they bring as strong a triple threat as any Broadway star with their beautiful hearts, their incredible intelligence, and their generous compassion & empathy.
Sometimes it can be easy to feel discouraged by current events and the challenges of life and this world. But, when I watch the way these two young women engage with life and the world around them, those who cross their paths, I am always encouraged. Indeed they are a triple threat for humanity, their lights shining brightly in a sometimes dim world. In recent days I have witnessed that light shining in how their knowledge and curiosity continue to grow by leaps and bounds. I love that they find subjects like science and geography and the Renaissance and biographies of interesting people fascinating. I love that my youngest enjoys word-based and other logic puzzles. I love that they demonstrate an intrinsic motivation when it comes to learning and exploring ideas that pique their curiosity.
Even more, I have watched the way they demonstrate a sense of understanding of others, something they have learned through some of their favorite stories and the characters that inhabit those stories. As they travel through various stories and character arcs, they demonstrate such an amazing understanding of what might motivate someone’s thoughts and actions. From those stories, I often see how they are able to apply those same skills to the people they meet in the real world around them. They may not always immediately express that empathy or compassion, but I see it coursing beneath the surface, guiding their hearts and minds often, strong and hardy, like a dandelion that grows under almost any circumstance and a triple threat in its own ways.
Mostly, this is due in large part to the beautiful hearts they each have. There are way too many inaccurate and untrue stereotypes regarding autistics, including that they don’t feel certain emotions or understand empathy or experience desires and passions like their neurotypical peers do. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While the autistic brain is wired differently and experiences the world in unique or atypical ways than the neurotypical brain, this divergence does not translate into lack of emotion or compassion or empathy or passion. Instead, it points to a new and fresh perspective worth listening to and understanding.
That’s why, when I consider the triple threat of my teenagers, I am filled with such hope for the future, especially a future where autistics are better understood and their perspectives accepted and appreciated. Because, really, these two remarkable young women are more than triple threats; these two young women are overflowing with qualities that will help change this world for the better as they seek to understand as well as to be understood. I can think of no better hope for the future than teens like mine who are willing to follow their hearts, explore new ideas, and seek to understand the ideas and people they encounter along their paths.