Choices
At a fundraising dinner at a school for children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After commending the school and its dedicated staff, he posed a question, “When not interfered with by outside influences, everything in nature is done with perfection. So when a child like my son, Shay, is born who cannot learn things as other children do, and cannot understand things the way 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 is mentally and physically disabled, comes into the world, an opportunity to realize our true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.” Then he told the following story.
One day as Shay and I walked past the park there where some boys 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, “It’s the middle of the eighth and we're down by six. 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, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth, 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, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth, 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. Now what? Do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win?
To my surprise, 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, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay might 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 game would have been over. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball over the first baseman's head. Everyone in the stands and both teams started yelling, “Run to first Shay! Run to first”! Never in his life had Shay ran that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and smiling. Everyone started yelling, “Run to second, run to second”! With no time to even catch his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, struggling but gleaming. As Shay was rounding second, the right fielder got the ball. He was the smallest guy on their team and now having the chance to be the hero for his team could have thrown the ball to the third for the tag, but understanding the pitcher's intentions,
intentionally threw the ball high 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, all the Way Shay”. 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!