I got this in a email, from work.




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 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


I hope you all enjoy this as much,as I did.
Much Love,2K..
Sherrie.

I have actually seen this story before it kind of makes one do a reality check in how they treat others regardless of the disability they may have been born with or happen later in life.

It is enough to bring a tear to your eyes and do some soul searching how one treats others.

I knew a kid like that back in elementary, and no less we all played baseball with him. Cool kid, slow to roll the bases, but one hell of a first basemen.

I've seen it also. It is very heartwarming. Where is the natural order of things for Shay? Shay is somewhare on a bell curve. We are all confronted with thousands of bell curves in life. What we do to deal with those bell curves is not set in concrete. The other kids in this story are ina wonderful place on a different bell curve. Shay will have many tougher bell curves to confront in his life.

Well I knew one too..me
This story touched me,because when I was born,I was born at 4 months,instead of 9.I fit in the palm of my fathers hand.The Dr's told my mom,I would be slow...special..you know.if I lived.Everything was not developed.which still somethings give me problems today.
Anyway..gawd was I ugly.only my mom could love me..or so I thought,I saw the pictures.
On the inside I am very loving,big-hearted...you guys see just the outside..the tough, mean, hard woman,but the world made me that way.
I have asked God many times,why me?...Life can be so hard.
Thank you all,You all are very special to me.

I have seen this before and it chokes me up everytime I read it. Children can be cruel But sometimes they can more generous than any adult.
Just because someone is different than you does not mean they do not feel, and love the same way. Thank you for reminding me of this 2Kids. Have a great day all. Embrace others difference you may learn something about yourself as well as them.

I think the actions of the boys also says a lot about their parents.
They must be doing something right...

So often these days kids think its okay to bully and treat others poorly..no matter if they have a handicap or are just different..its a reflection on the parents and the lessons they teach or fail to teach...

May I share this joy thoughout our Mingle world for we all have a bit of Shay within oursleves as well as his Fathers love and honor of being a part Shay to share with those of us who have forgotten, what a pleasure it is to be apart of our God's creation..., Thanks 2kids i needed that more then words can explain

Something like this happened to my older daughter, she isn't challenged but she was always heavier than the rest of her classmates. During one of their "Field Day" races, she asked her teacher if she could sit out because she cut her foot during another activity, but the teacher told her if she sat out, she would fail gym. (I had asked about her sitting it out also, but the teacher said she could take her time.)

She couldn't run the race so she was walking it even after the other kids passed the finish line. One of the PARENTS yelled out "Just get her off the track, she's lazy!" Another student looked at him and yelled out "Go Sarah!! You can do it!!" Everyone started cheering for her and she made it across the finish line with a little bit of a smile on her face. When she came up to me, I made sure the other parent knew she was hurt by asking how she felt and was her foot still bleeding and telling even more loudly than was necessary, how proud I was of her for doing the race.

I think people like the little boy in the story come into the world to teach us and the wise listen

I needed it too.


Thank you everyone,
Much Love,
2K
Sherrie

You are very pretty and seem to have a good head on your shoulders. I have also asked "why me" many times over through the years. The older you grow, the more you learn the reasons why. All those that are inferior in man's eyes are perfect in God's eyes. All the trials and tribulations we encounter through our life make us stronger. Every hill that you reach the top at...you are able to look down and see where you came from and the work that it took to rise above and concour. It makes you loving, kind and humble. It makes you true to yourself and compasionate to others.

Thank you,for your wise and kind words.

I have tried the same stunt on drunk chicks at the clubs....

women can be really cynical .....

Thanx for sharing

Amazing speech
Amazing choices made by both teams


Rare moments as such
Enjoy them