"true love and humanity"

[Lilith]

Below you will read a story in which i got in my email, it is the usual stuff i normally read and get rid of, but this one made me Cry and think. I have a child with special needs, as i know some others here do too. I felt it would be a good story to share, as i know i related to it alot on so many diffrent levels. I left the enire email in tact and i have not added anything nor have i deleted anything.

Lilith

Subject: True Stroy

A little story

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 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. Shay's father

approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play.

The boy looked around for guidance and, getting none, he took matters into

his own hands 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."

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 outfield.

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, 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 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 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 took the ball and turned and threw the ball on a high

arc to right field, far beyond the reach of the first baseman.

Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!"

Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down

the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!"

By the time Shay rounded first base, the right fielder had the ball.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he

understood the pitcher's intentions and intentionally threw the ball high

and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled

the bases toward home.

Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in

the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!"

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams 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."

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, and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

[torn asunder]

the boy's name is actually shaya, and this sotry was told by wayne dyer on his pbs special, "the power of intention". it's a very moving story, and i damn near cried, too, but i honestly wonder if it really ever happened - i mean, c'mon, have you *ever* seen any kids act this way?? :erm

[Steven]

Beautiful story. Yes, I've seen kids act this way many times, and adults too.

[Shade Everdark]

I haven't.

Children are cruel, and adults not much better.