-----Original Message-----
From: stf370 <[log in to unmask]>
To: stf370 <[log in to unmask]>; St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Monday, October 18, 1999 9:29 PM
Subject: Re: Welcome To Holland


>
>-----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
>>>
>>
>
>