Sample English Paper on “Welcome to Holland”
As far as raising children with disabilities is concerned, this is an inspiring article. It helps families focus their attention on the positive side of the story and forget its bad side so that they can move forward. Basically, not very many families would be able to do this. However, with the help that the article provides, a majority of the families can move forward because of the encouragement they get from the article. Emily talks of the aspirations that many families have during pregnancies. She connects this issue with the issue of planning a journey to Italy. She narrates of the type of arrangements one makes to prepare adequately for the journey. However, after many days of preparations, she concludes her story by an unhappy ending in Holland rather than in Italy. Through this illustration, Emily tries to encourage families with children with disabilities to accept the reality and move on. She focuses her attention on the strength part of the story. She acknowledges that even if Holland is not Italy, at least it has some positive aspects that can be celebrated. Moreover, it is not a filthy place full of diseases, famine and pestilence. At least, it is a different place (Kingsley Para. 6). By acknowledging this fact, Emily urges her colleagues with disabled children to look at the positive side of their stories. She urges them to start embracing the windmills and tulips in Holland. By so doing, she encourages families with disabled children to look at their strengths and start moving on. The article encourages concerned families to look at what is right for them to do as opposed to looking at their shortcomings. This is what family strength theories do. They help families to accept their disabled children and treat them right.
The interview demonstrates the extent to which Emily has gone in embracing the strength aspect of her family. She does not show any sign of regret for giving birth to Jason. She counts Jason to be a blessing to her family because she has been able to transform the lives of other parents with such children (Schwager Para. 6). Although she is among the first parents to give birth to children with special needs in her locality, she feels encouraged to strengthen other families. This is a good thing for Emily to do because inasmuch as it helps other families to move on, it also helps her to move on as well. It helps her to look at disabled children as people with special talents that should be nurtured.
The interview is an encouragement to many. Not only does it address itself to families with children with disabilities, but also to other people dashed dreams. It also emphasizes on looking at the positive side of a dream that has not been realized or lost. Largely, Emily and her husband had every reason to mistreat Jason and let him die as the obstetrician had advised them. However, they chose to look at the issue from a different perspective (Schwager Para. 4). Every other person can do this, but it takes courage to do it. As a result, the interview is an important one because it reveals what Emily and her husband did to embrace Jason. It also demonstrates what other families have been able to achieve by simply heeding Emily’s advice. Furthermore, it highlights some of the achievements that have been made following the advocacy programs Emily and her colleagues have initiated. Overall, it is an encouragement to families with children with disabilities to give their children the best and look at their children as a treasure rather than discouragements.
Work cited
Kingsley, Emily. Welcome to Holland. Web. 1999 http://www.creativeparents.com/Holland.html
Schwager, Istar. Interview with Emily Perl Kingsley author of welcome to Holland. Web. 2015. http://www.creativeparents.com/EPKinterview.html