Something to think about

Constantin

... as with most of these letters, I plug them into snopes.com to see if they are an urban legend. The Rabbi that wrote the book that this story is based on claims it is true. <a href="http://www.snopes.com/glurge/chush.htm">Read more about it, with a critical counterpoint and a link to the original text, if you like</a>.

Boiler Guy_2

Something to think about

As Dan says "Hug your kids" Just HAD to share this! Enjoy

Just something to think about!

What would you do?

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?

You now have two choices:

1. Delete this.

2. Forward it to the people you care about.

You already know the choice I opted for.

Bob Sweet

Great stuff

Thanks to both of you!

RoosterBoy

When one knows but little yet is considerate

To Him People are eager to Listen....*~/:)