LAMGAJ28
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Member since 10/05 6039 total posts
Name:
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Two Choices....I got this in my email this morning..thought I'd share....
This is well worth the 60 seconds, just have tissues ready!
>
>
> 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 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
> 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 '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
> and workplaces.
>
> 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 & alway
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thanks for sharing again
