Printable Holland Poem !link! Site

For decades, parents receiving a life-altering diagnosis for their child have been handed a single piece of paper. On it is a short, allegorical poem titled "Welcome to Holland." Despite the rise of digital media, searches for a "printable Holland poem" remain incredibly high—a testament to its enduring role as a tangible source of comfort in moments of crisis. What is the "Welcome to Holland" Poem? Written by Emily Perl Kingsley in 1987, the piece uses a powerful metaphor. Kingsley, whose son has Down syndrome, compares the experience of planning for a child to meticulously planning a trip to Italy —you learn the language, study the maps, and dream of the Colosseum.

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. Whether you frame it, fold it into a wallet, or simply tape it to the wall, the printable Holland poem remains a lifeline. It validates the loss without abandoning the hope. And sometimes, on the hardest days, that is exactly the map a parent needs.

“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.” printable holland poem

Nevertheless, for many, the poem offers a crucial first step: permission to grieve the Italy they expected, while opening their eyes to the tulips in front of them. If you are a parent, a grandparent, or a medical professional, keep a few copies folded in your bag or desk drawer. You can easily copy the text below (ensuring you credit Emily Perl Kingsley) and paste it into a word processor. Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley

But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay. For decades, parents receiving a life-altering diagnosis for

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…

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. Written by Emily Perl Kingsley in 1987, the

When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make wonderful plans. The Coliseum. Michelangelo’s David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.