Coolestmommy's Coolest Thoughts: Tips on Tuesday: The Road Less .

I know I'm late posting today's Tips on Tuesday column. I try to hold them done good in advance, but sometimes life interferes and it's difficult to determine just what I wish to post. Today was one of those days. Then I ran across a script about Autism that I've added to my purchase list (I'm sure I'll post more nearly it when I take it) and constitute the following essay as division of the introduction to the book.

don't do as much blogging over here about our spirit and autism, but Nathan is on the Autism Spectrum. He's gifted and autistic which makes him Twice Exceptional. (You can go to my http://www.coolestchildren.com/ blog for more data on Twice Exceptional children. We often look like we're navigating through a strange nation with him. It's also difficult to put into language what our spirit is like. We oftentimes don't love what to say because many people pity us, but we don't want pity. We would prefer understanding and patience. Many people ask us to get him 'fixed' but what's hard to explain is that his isn't 'broken', he's 'different'. If we took all autism out of Nathan, than he'd cease to be the Nathan we love and love. So while we wouldn't have chosen this way for ourselves, we don't regret the way we're on. When I read through this essay, it hit me wish a ton of bricks. She explains my thoughts and feelings with accuracy and insight. I cried when I take this and am crying again now thinking about it. I may not have arrived in Italy, but Holland is nice this sentence of year, too.

Welcome To Holland

by Emily Perl Kingsley

I am frequently asked to identify the see of rearing a kid with disability - to try to serve people who possess not shared that unique experience to see it, to guess how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to cause a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a lot of guide books and do your grand plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may discover some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You take your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the flat 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 leaving to Italy." But there's been a shift in the escape plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The significant affair is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's only a different place. So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must take a completely new language. And you will receive a solid new grouping of people you would never have met.

It`s simply a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flash than Italy. But after you've been there for a piece and you see your breath, you count around. and you get to notice that Holland has windmills.and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you live is busy coming and passing from Italy. and they're all brag about what a fantastic time they had there. And for the repose of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was alleged to go. That's what I had planned." And the trouble of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away.because the release of that ambition is a really very significant loss.

But. if you drop your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be liberal to delight the really special, the very lovely things . about Holland.

1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley.

I know everyone has at least one Holland in their life. It's only share of living. I promise you see the encouragement that I establish in this essay. Whenever you feel yourself on the road less traveled, take time to appear about and rule the windmills and tulips.

Enjoy Holland!