Two Choices
My Mom sent this to me in email, and it made me cry, but it was a happy cry, i wish more things like this happened in the world for our special little children. Get a tissue, you might need it!
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 fund raising 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 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, 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 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 (notexpecting much) if Shay could
play. The boylooked 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 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 andon 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 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
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
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 the 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!
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 fund raising 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 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, 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 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 (notexpecting much) if Shay could
play. The boylooked 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 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 andon 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 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
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
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 the 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!