[Rena]

HI,


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!