I was referred recently to an essay, “Welcome to Holland,” written in 1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. Kingsley, a mother of a child born with disabilities, compares pregnancy to planning a trip to Italy and the preparation for the newborn as the preparation for the trip. She continues to create a parallel between learning that your child has disabilities to ending up in Holland instead of your intended Italian destination. She goes on to say that although Holland has its own value and beauty, it isn’t what you had expected and you still have to adapt to your new destination. Read the full story