Skip to main content

A story for everyone to enjoy.

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

I got this in my e-mail today and thought this would be a good place to share it . I hope everyone enjoys it as i did . I just wish all kids were this way.

> >>At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves
> > >>learning-disabled children, the father of one of
> > >>the school’s 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.
> > >>”Everything God 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 God’s plan reflected
> > >>in my son?”
> > >>The audience was stilled by the query. The
> > >>father continued.
> > >>”I believe,” the father answered, “that when God
> > >>brings a child like Shay into the world, an
> > >>opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents
> > >>itself and it comes in the way 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 will let me play?”
> > >>Shay’s father knew that most boys would not want
> > >>him on their team. But the father 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 from his
> > >>teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his
> > >>own hands and said, “We are 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 up 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.
> > >>At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a
> > >>glove and played in the outfield. Although no
> > >>hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just
> > >>to be 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
> > >>the potential winning run was on base.
> > >>Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat.
> > >>Would the team actually let Shay bat at this
> > >>juncture 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 moved 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 toward
> > >>Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the
> > >>ball and hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher.
> > >>The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
> > >>could easily have thrown the ball to the first
> > >>baseman. Shay would have been out and that would
> > >>have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took
> > >>the ball and threw it on a high arc to right
> > >>field, far beyond 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 was rounding first base, the
> > >>right fielder had the ball. He could have
> > >>thrown the ball to the second baseman for a tag.
> > >>But the right fielder understood what the
> > >>pitcher’s intentions had been, so he threw the
> > >>ball high and far over the third baseman’s
> > >>head. Shay ran towards second base as the runners
> > >>ahead of him deliriously circled the bases
> > >>towards home.
> > >>As 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 home,
> > >>stepped on home plate and was cheered as
> > >>the hero for hitting a “grand slam” and winning
> > >>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 the Divine Plan into this
> > >>world.”
> > >>
> > >>And now, a footnote to the story. We all send
> > >>thousands of jokes through e-mail without a
> > >>second thought, but when it comes to sending
> > >>messages regarding life choices, people think
> > >>twice about sharing. The crude, vulgar, and
> > >>sometimes the obscene pass freely through
> > >>cyberspace, but public discussion of decency is
> > >>too often suppressed in school and the workplace.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>If you are thinking about forwarding this
> > >>message, you are probably thinking about which
> > >>people on your address list aren’t the
> > >>”appropriate” ones to receive this type of
> > >>message. The person who sent this to you believes
> > >>that we can all make a difference. We all have
> > >>thousands of opportunities a day to help realize
> > >>God’s plan. So many seemingly trivial
> > >>interactions between two people present us with a
> > >>choice, do we pass along a spark of the Divine?
> > >>Or do we pass up that opportunity and leave the
> > >>world a bit colder in the process?
> > >>
> > >>You have two choices now:
> > >>
> > >>1. Delete this.
> > >>2. Forward it to the people you care about.
> > >>
> > >>You know the choice I made.
> > >>
> > >>A friend is one who knows all about you and loves you
> > >>just the same.
> > >>
> > >>Have a wonderful day!
> > >>
> >
>

Back to Top