Irishdenis
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« on: October 14, 2007, 01:48:03 PM » |
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What would you do?...you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, > >there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question 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, cannot 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, > >ph ysically 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 (not > >expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance > >and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the g ame 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 and, with a broad smile, put on > >a team shirt. His Father watched with 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 > >S hay 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 because 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 that > >the other team was 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 > >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. The pitcher picked u p 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 first baseman's head, > >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 run that far, but he 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 > >the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right > >fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his > >first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown t he ball > >to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's > >intentions so 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 because the opposing shortstop ran to help him > >by turning 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 the spectators, > >were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! 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. He 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! > > A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all forward e-mailed jokes without > >a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life > >choices, people hesitate. 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 in your address book who 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 those opportunities 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 in its midst. > > > >You now have two choices: > >1. Delete > >2. Forward > >May your day be a Shay Day.
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