a touching speech

[mc25t190]

> > 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 bases loaded, 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
> > your 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 [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
kevin hand