Life in Holland: Lucky #7

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Lucky #7

My Sweet Carly,

Seven years ago yesterday you were born and my life has never been the same. You are such a joy and you make me so proud. You make me want to be a better person so that you will always have the example you need. You are the best daughter, sister, cousin, and friend that anyone could ask for. You are so thoughtful and kind and not a day goes by that I do not thank God for giving you to me. I hope you had a great year and I pray you will have many, many more.

Love,

Mommy

Yesterday was Carly's 7th birthday. I cannot believe my sweet baby is already 7. How did it happen? I suppose she is a little diva because for her party she wanted to take some friends and go get manicures and pedicures and then go have lunch and cake. The girls had a great time. Everyone got in on the party fun, even Anna and Gabe.

2 comments:

LezliJuly 3, 2011 at 8:01 AM
Looks like a great birthday party! We love you, Carly! You are a blessing to everyone who knows you. :)
ReplyDelete
Replies
~Denise~July 4, 2011 at 9:39 PM
that looks like a completely awesome party! happy birthday carly!
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

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 Rembrandts. 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.