> 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 children
> with learning disabilities, 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, who was mentally and physically disabled 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 I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew
> were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think
> they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys
> would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a
> father I also understood that if my 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.
>
> I 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. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my 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 I 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.
>
> B y 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 me
> so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully
> embrace her little hero of the day!
>
> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE 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.