When he was tiny he would look up at me with daring determination, wearing rubber boots and a Robin costume, and promise, "I'm going to be a character when I grow up."
Nothing comes naturally for him, and so every skill had to be fought for. Every talent practiced and practiced and practiced until it was entirely his own. Wait... one thing comes natural. An intensity and purpose to be what he wants to be.
Then one night he stood on stage in front of a sold out audience and preformed an important role in The Great Gatsby with his peers.
Another night he performed as Aladdin, a starring role, on stage in front of a sold out audience. My sister and her daughters overheard a couple of teen girls whispering before the curtain went up,"I can't wait to see Tyran with his shirt off!"
On a different day he performed with his peers on camera, a short film in an anti-bullying campaign. The photo shoot for that was done just in time for him to get to a dress rehearsal for a dance performance he was in.
And on and on and on and on.....
I wasn't there for any of these shows, because to follow his dreams he had to leave.
But I also was there. In the freedom I gave him to discover his talent, in the support I gave him while we talked about his dreams, in the comfort I pretended to have when he went one thousand miles away to make his future his own. And in my heart I know he felt my pride, love, and support.
Dreams do come true.
And they are best lived when we go after them with patience, a willingness to follow them though they require change, and open eyes that see them when they are played out.
Congratulations, Tyran!!!
I love you and am soooooooo proud of you.
And I really, really, really miss you!!!
Hugs, smiles, and love!!!
Autism Answers with Tsara Shelton (Facebook)
