-----Original Message-----
From: stf370 <[log in to unmask]>
To: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Monday, October 18, 1999 9:18 PM
Subject: Re: Welcome To Holland


>To All,
>
>I recently went to the autisim conference in
>Plano, Texas. There is a class called Welcome to Holland.  I dont recall
the
>name of the speaker but I did buy her tape so that my husband could listern
>to it too !
>I went to the 3 day conference because of my Autistic daughter I didnt
>expect to her about premmies and more.  I cried  til the class ended I
still
>cry when I listen to the tape.  I just thought we were supposed to go
>forward and didnt relize how much baggage we were still  had because of the
>birth.  I am going to try and locate the speaker as I would like to talk to
>her.
>
>sherrie
>
>mother to Erica 24 weeker age 7, Jordan ft w/autism age 3 , Jared 2  ft
>-----Original Message-----
>From: BrightIs <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Sunday, October 17, 1999 5:23 PM
>Subject: Welcome To Holland
>
>
>>I don't know if you all have read this before, but I came acrossed it =
>>while finishing up a 10 hour course for my CDA:
>>
>>Welcome To Holland
>>
>>"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 is 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 arives.  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."  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 guidebooks.  And =
>>you must learn a whole new language.  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 tulips.  Holland even has =
>>Rembrants.
>>
>>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 planned."
>>
>>And the pain of that will never, ever, ever go away, because the loss of =
>>that dream is 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."
>>
>>Emily Perl Kingsley.
>>
>>I just loved it.
>>Deborah mom of 4
>>
>