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, should 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 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 ba ll 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."
