LAMGAJ28
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Member since 10/05 6039 total posts
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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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