Guest guest Posted January 1, 2006 Report Share Posted January 1, 2006 Thank you very much for that Jodi! I'm glad you shared it with us newbies. It's one I'll email to myself and save. Thanks Dawna > > I was just telling a couple of dear friends about the following > story when I realized that some of our newest members may not be > aware of this as well. It is a wonderful story that someone sent me > 17 years ago when Max was first diagnosed with RSS. I think that > with the new year and with Sheldon's theme of welcoming > everyone " HOME, " it is appropriate to post this once again. I > always refer back to it when I am at my lowest. > > Enjoy! > Jodi Z > > WELCOME TO HOLLAND > by > Perl Kingsley. > > c1987 by Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved > > I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with > a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique > experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like > this...... > > When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous > vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make > your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo . The > gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. > It's all very exciting. > > After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You > pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. > The stewardess comes in and says, " Welcome to Holland. " > > " Holland?!? " you say. " What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for > Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of > going to Italy. " > > But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in > Holland and there you must stay. > > The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, > disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. > It's just a different place. > > So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a > whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people > you would never have met. > > It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less > flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you > catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that > Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has > Rembrandts. > > But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and > they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And > for the rest of your life, you will say " Yes, that's where I was > supposed to go. That's what I had planned. " > > And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because > the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. > > But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get > to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very > lovely things ... about Holland > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2006 Report Share Posted January 1, 2006 i too keep this close when my spirts are low .........some one also shareed a 2end holland one with me and i will sent it too hope you all enjoy cara mom to jacob Jodi Zwain wrote: I was just telling a couple of dear friends about the following story when I realized that some of our newest members may not be aware of this as well. It is a wonderful story that someone sent me 17 years ago when Max was first diagnosed with RSS. I think that with the new year and with Sheldon's theme of welcoming everyone " HOME, " it is appropriate to post this once again. I always refer back to it when I am at my lowest. Enjoy! Jodi Z WELCOME TO HOLLAND by Perl Kingsley. c1987 by Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...... When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo . The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, " Welcome to Holland. " " Holland?!? " you say. " What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy. " But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place. So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say " Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned. " And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 hahahhaha I do get the point about it. Holland isn't that bad but I'm also dreaming about going to Italy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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