>> What would you do? You make the choice! Don't look for a punch line;
>>
>> there isn't one! Read it anyway. My question to all of you is: Would
>> you
>>
>> have made the same choice?
>>
>>
>>
>> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning disabled
>>
>> children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that
>> would
>>
>> never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and
>> its
>>
>> dedicated staff, he offered a question:
>>
>>
>>
>> "When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does
>> is
>>
>> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, can not learn things as other
>>
>> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is
>> the
>>
>> natural order of things in my son?"
>>
>>
>>
>> The audience was stilled by the query.
>>
>>
>>
>> The father continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay,
>> physically
>>
>> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to
>> realize
>>
>> true human nature presents itself, and it comes, in the way other
>> people
>>
>> treat that child." Then he told the following story:
>>
>>
>>
>> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew
>> were
>>
>> playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?"
>> Shay's
>>
>> father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on
>> their
>>
>> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to
>> play,
>>
>> it would give him a much needed sense of belonging and some confidence
>> to
>>
>> be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>>
>>
>>
>> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay
>>
>> could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around for guidance and
>>
>> said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
>>
>> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the
>> ninth
>>
>> inning."
>>
>>
>>
>> Shay struggled over to the team's bench, put on a team shirt with a
>> broad
>>
>> smile and his Father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in his
>> heart.
>>
>> The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom
>> of
>>
>> the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind
>> by
>>
>> three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played
>> in
>>
>> the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously
>>
>> ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to
>> ear
>>
>> as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth
>>
>> inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
>> loaded,
>>
>> the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next
>> at
>>
>> bat.
>>
>>
>>
>> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to
>> win
>>
>> the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a
>> hit
>>
>> was all but impossible 'cause Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat
>>
>> properly, much less connect with the ball.
>>
>>
>>
>> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing the
>>
>> other team putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
>> in
>> a
>>
>> few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to
>> make
>>
>> contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The
>>
>> pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards
>>
>> Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow
>> ground
>>
>> ball right back to the pitcher.
>>
>>
>>
>> The game would now be over, but the pitcher picked up the soft grounder
>> and
>>
>> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have
>>
>> been out and that would have been the end of the game.
>>
>>
>>
>> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first
>>
>> baseman, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and
>> both
>>
>> teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his
>>
>> life had Shay ever ran that far but made it to first base. He scampered
>>
>> down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
>>
>>
>>
>> Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!"
>>
>> Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and
>>
>> struggling to make it to second base. By the time Shay rounded towards
>>
>> second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their
>>
>> team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time.
>> He
>>
>> could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he
>>
>> understood the pitcher's intentions and he too intentionally threw the
>> ball
>>
>> high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base
>>
>> deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
>>
>>
>>
>> All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay"
>>
>>
>>
>> Shay reached third base, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and
>> turned
>>
>> him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay,
>> run
>>
>> to third" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams and those
>>
>> watching were on their feet were screaming, "Shay, run home!" Shay ran
>> to
>>
>> home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the
>> "grand
>>
>> slam" and won the game for his team.
>>
>>
>>
>> That day, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
>> the
>>
>> boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
>> into
>>
>> this world.
>>
>>
>>
>> Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that winter, having
>> never
>>
>> forgotten being the hero and making his Father so happy and coming home
>> and
>>
>> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
>>
>>
>>
>> AND, NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of
>> jokes
>>
>> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to
>> sending
>>
>> messages about life choices, people think twice about sharing. The
>> crude,
>>
>> vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public
>>
>> discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and
>>
>> workplaces.
>>
>>
>>
>> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that
>> you're
>>
>> probably sorting out the people on your address list that aren't the
>>
>> "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person
>> who
>>
>> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
>>
>> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the
>> "natural
>>
>> order of things." So many seemingly trivial interactions between two
>> people
>>
>> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
>>
>> humanity or do we pass up that opportunity to brighten the day of those
>>
>> with us the least able, and leave the world a little bit colder in the
>>
>> process?
>>
>>
>>
>> A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats the least
>>
>> fortunate amongst them.
>>
>>
>>
>> You now have two choices:
>>
>> 1. Delete
>>
>> 2. Forward
>>
>> May your day, be a Shay Day, sunny today tomorrow & always!