What would you do? You make the choice! Don't look for a punch line;
?There isn't one! ?Read it anyway. My question to all of you 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, 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 if Shay
could play, not expecting much. 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 put on a team shirt with a
broad smile and his Father had 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
obviou sly 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 'cause 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 the
other team 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 be able
to 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, but 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 head of the first
baseman, 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 ran that far but 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 second base. By the time Shay rounded towards
second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their
team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time.
?He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he
understood the pitcher's intentions and 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, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and
turned 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
those watching were on their feet were screaming, "Shay, 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 and 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 think twice about sharing.
The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but
public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message,chances are that you're
probably sorting out the people on your address list that 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 that opportunity to brighten the day of
those with us the least able, 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,sunny today tomorrow & always!

Kal, everyone needs to read this story. I have read it before had it
sent to me through e-mail which I passed it on to all I know. Even tho I
have read it before I still re-read this story and it still brought a
tear to my eyes as it has each time I have read it. Thanks for sharing
this one. Is's one that will tug at your heart with a big rope,

This story is so touching. My niece is a special needs child. She cannot
say words Yet she speaks volumes, she can not see
with her eyes yet she knows when I am there with her. She cannot not hug
yet her love is so visible when she coo's at the sound of my voice.
Everyone on Gods earth has a purpose.
Love this story Kal- Thanks for sharing it.Its a reminder to us all to
be compassionate caring and thankful everyday for even what seems the
smallest of things.
Bravo!!

forwarded to my friends to do th same,,,at least there is humanity left
in this world,tears up th eye to hear it....M.

i got this in my email about 2 weeks ago and oh boy did i tear up!!!
this is a wonderful story. i know sign laung. and well i was signing
this this guy *22* he has downs. treach*spelling* had to be on oxgen
24/7 heart probs.. and many other probs i was with him in a store and
was signing and these people behind us made a smart ass comment about oh
look a white chick is talking with her hands thought only mexicans to
that.. i fuckin blew up.. there is stupid people out there that think
just cause there diferent they are *scary*, the people that stare are
people with a disablity.. just something that hits *that* spot... i
dunno but i loved this story!!!

i get picked on cuz i have a learning disability an i also have seizures
so i know what your goin through

i think it's odd how some people look at someone witha disability as
being a burden to society when they seem to make a better contribution
to society than the rude heartless people who are tearing them down.

I was raised around disabled people. I learned early to respect them.
One of them was 22yo when she passed away and she never could sign or
talk. Her care giver, mother, and sister were the only ones that knew a
few ques that she gave for food and drink. Then there is my sister who
was hit by a car at age 8. She leads a mostly normal life now. But she
had a rough time getting the proper meds for her seizures. And now I am
disabled but nothing wrong with my mind. Please take this story to heart
and help make these peoples day, year, or even life. I copied this and
saved it for my children to read when I get to see them again.

Well just like a child born with down-sydrom most look at them different
but think about it when we are all born we have that special gift from
God the thoughts and memory of a child we don't hate for we do not know
how we love everyone and curious about the smallest things. Then we grow
up and see the world with all its cruelty But...... a Down-Sydrom Child
keeps that gift that God gave us all there lives they still see the
world as a Child and all the good and beautiful things in it.

i was born with access flouid on the brain so i have 3 tubes on my chest
that drain it too my stomach i did have 1 that ran from my brain too my
stoamch but my dr took it out an put 3 in my chest an ran them too my
stomach