‘Come From Away’ Brought Me Home

As the characters were having cathartic human experiences on stage, I had mine from my seat.

Photo by Kevin Woblick on Unsplash

My family and I went to see Come From Away, a Broadway Musical about true events that unfolded after September 11, 2001. The Theater Development Fund is a not-for-profit organization that makes Broadway accessible to people with disabilities. Their autism-friendly performances have helped open my family’s world back up when isolation was the default setting. TDF has provided access to joyful moments that I and my neurodiverse family would not have had otherwise.

My husband has accused me of “burying the lead.” So, here is his direct and clear synopsis: “Like the passengers stuck on this rock of an island, you were stuck in Australia where you were powerless to do anything about the situation.” He also suggested that I separate out the aspect of my story that is about feeling at home because we were attending an autism-friendly performance. I can’t bring myself to do that, because to me it is one story about what home is.

Before the show began, I leaned …