This is kind of long, but it will bring tears to your eyes. I just wanted to share.
>Yes, I believe I would have. >Two Choices >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. >Whe re 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 (not >expecting much) if Shay could play. 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 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 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 yelli ng, "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 thi! rd!" > >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! > >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 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 it's >least fortunate amongst them. > >You now have two choices: >1. Delete >2. Forward > >>>May your day, be a Shay Day. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
