Welcome to Holland

by Emily Pearl Kingsley, a parent of a child with Down syndrome

I am often asked to describe the experience
Of raising a child with a disability,
To help people, who have not shared that unique experience,
Understand it
And 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, Michelangelo’s David, the gondolas in Venice-
You may even learn some handy phrases in Italian.
It’s all very exciting.
After all the 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 has been a change in the flight plan.
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.
And you will meet a whole new group of people
You would never have otherwise 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 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 bragging about the wonderful time they had.
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”.
The pain of that will never, ever go away,
Because the loss of that dream is a 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.

Top

Run to Jesus!!

On a recent trip to the beautiful Southern USA, we passed through Savannah, Georgia. This was our first time to this beautiful city, but our time was short, so we decided to take a trolley tour of the city. We boarded the vintage looking trolley and enjoyed seeing the many squares and historical sites this city holds. One stop on our tour was Forrest Gump’s bench where he sat with his box of chocolates and shared his life story. This trolley stop was a highlight for me, because I have always loved Forrest.

In the movie, one of the things Forrest Gump did was run. And run! When he was a child, he ran with corrective braces on his legs, yet managed to escape from bullies. As a young adult, he ran to save his fellow soldiers, and later in life, he ran from coast to coast attempting to heal his broken heart. Forrest realized in the many different situations he found himself in, running was the only option for survival. In fact, the more he ran, the better he became at it.

Who or where do you run to when you are afraid or need help?

Sometimes for me, my initial steps are running to family, friends, the internet or food. While these all may have their appropriate place, (well, I’m not so sure about the food J), the best initial step of my run is straight to Jesus. He is the healer of my heart, my best friend and guide, and the lover of my soul. We may grow weary and tired, but Jesus never does.

Run to Jesus.

Today may be filled with medical, behavior or school challenges. And who has time to think about tomorrow or 5 years from now? Uncertainty looms, but there is one thing that is sure – Jesus. He is waiting with open arms for us to run to Him.

He alone is the One who can move us from sadness and hopelessness and bring a change to your circumstances and joy to your heart.

Run to Jesus.

I love how The Message Bible phrases Hebrews 12:1-2:

“Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.” Hebrews 12:1-2 The Message

 Run to Jesus now . . . begin by praying this verse for you and/or your child:

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10

 Together, let’s put on our running shoes.