>
> Subject: FW: A Shay Day
>
>
>
>
> 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 fund raising 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.
>
>
>
>
>
> 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?
>
>
>
>
> Subject: FW: A Shay Day
>
>
>
>
> 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 fund raising 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.
>
>
>
>
>
> 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?
>
>
>
>
eace:
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