Fw: Two Choices

[Guest guest]

this is a beautiful story, to warm your heart.

Hugs Mary

- Dimi Darmos

Sam Christou ; Rose Laliotis ; Robi Zima ; Maria Stathopoulos ; Maria Avtzoglou ; Lee Agathangelou ; Laslo Zima ; jodihartje ; Hardmax Pty. Ltd. ; georgekistakis ; Effie Hoareau ; Conlon, Jenny ; Carol Coleman ; Athena Darmos ; Anita Marjanovic

Friday, November 28, 2008 7:17 PM

Fw: Two Choices

 

 

 

 

 

 

>>> *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.

>>>

>>> By 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 tha

>>> 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.

>>>

>>

>>

>

 

 

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