THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS SO HEART MOVING AND SO TO THE POINT
THAT IT DESERVES IT'S
OWN PAGE.
PRINT IT UP AND PASS IT ON TO A FAMILY MEMBER OR
LOVED ONE TO HELP THEM SEE THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE...
OBTAINED ONLINE AT
http://www.our-kids.org/Archives/Holland.html
By Emily Perl Kinsley
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 DAVID.
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
SLOW-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.
