I was given this today in the parent class of Logan's school. I loved it and had to share...
"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 trip--to Italy! You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelango David. The gondolas in Venice. You even 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 flight attendant 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 has 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 learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you never would 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. Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
"But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all talking 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.'
"But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't go to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland"
--Emily Perl Kingsley
8 comments:
That is so sweet. Thanks for sharing it.
cute :)
Thats is so sweet and true. Celeste you are such a great mom and not once have you complained about anything! I'm so excited about Logans progress!love you!
I heard that story many years ago and have thought of it often. Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you for sharing that. You are amazing and I really admire and look up to you and the way you and Jake have handled the things that have come your way. We love you
Thanks Celeste for this post...for the past 18 months it has been a sturggle and still is a struggle to figure out what is wrong with our little Elsie...but thank you so much for sharing this story...she is such a joy in our lives...so no matter how good Italy looks...I LOVE Holland!
I heard this when Bevan was in the NICU. They have it posted all over and give it to all the parents. I think that is what got me through that time. I kept thinking of all the wonderful things I was learning even through all the scary and bad stuff. I really have been impressed with you and your positive attitude with your boys!
What a great thing - it reminds me when Zachary was diagnosed with diabetes 6 years ago and people would always say, " Do you ever ask yourself why this happened to you?" And I would always think, why not me? Am I exempt from trials? I just accept it and move on and know that the Lord won't give me more than I can bear!!!
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