Two choices

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  Ialso 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.

B y 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!