Welcome to Holland

We received in the mail several copies of an article that had appeared in the newspaper in a dear Abby column. The story offered an allegory for couples who unexpectedly had a child born with Down's syndrome. She likened that situation to go on a trip and when you get on the airplane you are headed for Rome.

You arrive at the airport with emotions high and full of expectations. After all, you have planned this trip for the past nine months and here it is, today! You review in your mind everything that you packed and hoped that you didn’t forget anything. Pants, blouses, shoes . . . check. Cell phone, cell phone charger,

purse, wallet, credit cards . . . check. Camera, eye glasses, underwear, socks . . . check. Sunscreen, toothpaste, brush, shampoo, deodorant . . . check. And the list goes on and on. Medications? Check!

After sitting in the airport for two hours you finally are in your seat, buckled up, and sitting back for take off! You put your life in the hands of the pilot and fully trust that he will get you to your destination . . . Italy!

As you sit there your thoughts are on Rome, the Vatican, Venice, Florence, Assisi, the Amalfi Coast, the Pantheon, and the list just goes on and on. You trust that everything will be perfect, just as all the articles said you would. You even trust in the Lord that this is the trip you have ever longed for will be blessed by

Him. Then, as the airplane descends the announcement comes over the airplane intercom: "Welcome to Holland."

“Holland”, you ask? What did he say? HOLLAND???? Panic and unbelief set in. Confusion and disappointment, fear, and thoughts like “How did the pilot and plane end up here? Was I in the wrong terminal? What mistake did I make? How can this be?”

So here you are in Holland. Now what? We received the article about Holland from a few sources, but they never told us who they were . . . articles sent by “Anonymous”. We want to thank the people who were thoughtful enough to send it to us. For over 33 years now we have immensely enjoyed all that Holland has to offer.

Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley

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 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 Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandt.

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.

https://www.emilyperlkingsley.com/welcome-to-holland

We received the article about Holland from a few sources, but they never told us who they were . . . articles sent by “Anonymous”. We want to thank the people who were thoughtful enough to send it to us. For over 33 years now we have immensely enjoyed all that Holland has to offer . . . most of the time.

“St. Michael the Archangel” depicts St. Michael the Archangel who defeated Satan ar the beginning of creation. He is the holiest and highest angel in all the courts of heaven and above all other angels. He protects us from satan and all our enemies. Sizes are suitable for framing in standard frames. Reasonably priced with free shipping to continental USA. Comes in three sizes.

Small 5” x 7”. $20

Medium 8” x 10”. $25

Large 11” x 14”. $30

MYTH: Segregated special education programs are the only option for students with Down syndrome

TRUTH: Students with Down syndrome are included in typical academic classrooms in schools across the country. The current trend in education is for full inclusion in social and educational settings. Sometimes students with Down syndrome are included in specific courses, while in other situations students are fully included in the typical classroom for all subjects. Increasingly, individuals with Down syndrome graduate from high school with diplomas, and participate in postsecondary academic and college programs.

NDSS National Down Syndrome Society:

https://ndss.org/myths-truths#myth-most-children-with-down-syndrome-are-born-to-older-parents

Psalm 149:4 for the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will glorify the lowly with salvation.

Isaiah 55: 3 - 12 3 Incline your ear and come to Me.
 Listen, that you may live; 6 Seek the Lord while He may be found;
 Call upon Him while He is near.
 7 Let the wicked abandon his way,
 And the unrighteous person his thoughts;
 And let him return to the Lord,
 And He will have compassion on him,
 And to our God,
 For He will abundantly pardon.
 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
 Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
 So are My ways higher than your ways
 And My thoughts than your thoughts.
 10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, 
And do not return there without watering the earth
 And making it produce and sprout,
 And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
 11 So will My word be which goes out of My mouth;
 It will not return to Me empty,
 Without accomplishing what I desire,
 And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.
 12 For you will go out with joy
 And be led in peace;
 The mountains and the hills will break into shouts of joy before you,
 And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

“Angel Adoration” print by artist Michelle White. Original is a charcoal drawing. Sizes are suitable for framing in standard frames. Product DOES NOT INCLUDE MAT OR FRAME. Purchase mat separately. Reasonably priced with free shipping to continental USA. Comes in three sizes.

Small 5” x 7”. $20

Medium 8” x 10”. $25

Large 11” x 14”. $30