General Chat

This was sent to me by a friend today........ see below.

When you are going to have a baby, it's like planning a vacation to Italy. You're excited. You get a bunch of guidebooks, you learn a few phrases so you can get around, and then it comes time to pack your bags and head for the airport. Only when you land, the stewardess says, 'Welcome to Holland.' You look at one another in disbelief and shock, saying, 'Holland? What are you talking about? I signed up for Italy.' 'But,' they explain, 'there's been a change of plans. You've landed in Holland, and there you must stay.' 'But, I don't know anything about Holland!' you say. 'I don't want to stay!' But stay you do. You go out and buy some new guidebooks, you learn some new phrases and you meet people you never knew existed. The important thing is that you are not in a slum full of pestilence and famine. You're simply in a different place than you had planned. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy, but after you've been here a little while and you have a chance to catch your breath, you begin to discover that Holland has windmills. Holland has tulips. Holland has Rembrandts. But everyone else you know is busy coming and going from Italy. They're all bragging about what a great time they had there, and for the rest of your life, you'll say, 'Yes, that's what I had planned.' The pain of that will never go away. You have to accept that pain because the loss of that dream, the loss of that plan, is a very, very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't go to Italy, you will never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.

That is lovely!!! As a woman with no children, I'd welcome a trip to Holland!! Pink xx

Thats so true Wendy. Maz. XX

I've been to Holland and although I wished for Italy, I love holland very much and after 22 years I sometimes think of Italy and how differant things would have been but Holland is now my life and I'm not sure if I would change it LInda P

Wendy that is lovely I'm in holland and at times I find getting around very hard we have tantrums we cry sometimes together and some times on my own, but we also have the most wonderful times to, I would never wish for Italy now. I love my holland to bits Julia

Holland is a lovely place, would rather be here than Italy. My little bit of Holland has its ups and downs, but the flowers are beatutiful. Maggie

That was very beautiful Wendy. xx BC

I went to Holland as a few of you know.Would have liked to have gone to Italy as would everyone. I managed a trip to Italy twice and must admit at times I really do prefer my trip to Holland. I would not have missed my trip to Holland for the world and it will be 25yrs on March 11 that I was there Love Jan

i know what it's like to be in holland gettin use to holland now but even though holland is hard work i love holland very much

I went to Holland 26 years ago, although I would'nt want to be anywhere else, l'd miss the beautiful tulips, l do every now and again wonder what my life would have been like had l gone to Italy Anne x

Ann I must agree the tulips are beautiful in Holland Jan xx

Snoopy. That was a great poem. XX BC

Oh yes, Holland is at times almost unbearably difficult - but I wouldn't swap it for the world! Wendy x

I second that Wendy. Anne xx

I ve seen that poem before and its a very interesting way of putting it, before we have children we all think they are going to be perfect or take after ourselves, I think along the lines that I was choosen to have my son(Aspergers/SEN etc) because i could give him the love,support,patience and stability that maybe someone else couldn t, maybe we are choosen to have these children(and I m not religous) well thats the way I look upon it. We all have good days and bad, some more than others, and its getting thru the bad days and enjoying the good.

ive just entered holland, its all new and strange at first everyone speaks a different language and you feel lonely but reading this makes you realise that you arent alone and how lucky we really are.

I started out in Italy but ended up in Holland and it aint such a bad place to be once you get the hang of it...... :-)) Shaz xx

Like Big Shaz, we started out in Italy with Susie and got re-directed to Holland ten years later. It's been tough at times and I'm sure there will other tough times but we love her and her sister, who's dyslexic just the same wherever we all are.

I personally never went to Holland, but my sister in law did she came back with 2 sons, Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, they are sadly no longer with us!! but because of her Holland visit, and all the highs and lows, dark and bright days, I became a pupil escort! have been 10 years now and love it and all my SPECIAL children!!! Love to all you generous parents Val