MiLk n HoNeY Fubar OG's blog: "I Belive..."

This was sent to me and I wanted to share it....

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.

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!

I have the right to be angry,  
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. 
  
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends

if we understand that friends change. 
  
I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is,

they're going to hurt you every once in a while

and you must forgive them for that. 
  
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow,

even over the longest distance. 
 Same goes for true love. 
  
I Believe... 
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life. 
  
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be. 
  
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones

with loving words.

It may be the last time you see them. 
  
I Believe... 
That you can keep going long after you think you can't. 
 
I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do,

no matter how we feel. 
  
I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you. 
    
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done,

when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. 
  
   I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score. 
  
I Believe....
That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing,

and have the best time. 
  
I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you,
when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up. 
    
I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with

what types of experiences you've had,    
and what you've learned from them...

and less to do with how many 
birthdays you've celebrated. 
  
I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. 
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself. 

the wo rl d doesn't stop for your grief. 
  
I Believe...
That our background and circumstances

may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.   
  
I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
out a secret.

It could change your life forever. 
  
I Believe....
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different. 
    
I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you. 
    
I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give,

if a friend cries out to you..

you will find the strength to help.   
  
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall

do not make you a decent human being. 
    
I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life

are taken from you too soon.. 
    
I Believe....
That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in.

I just did. 
  
The happiest of people don't necessarily

have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything. 
  
Thank you God for all the wonderful people

who help us throughout the journey of life...