What Would You Do?

   The past month has been a struggle. Work is crazy because it is busy season for the sports that I am over, I have to move out of the place that I have been living today, multiple people in my life have died, and I have been left with a whirlwind of chaos that is my life! As I have been dealing with things, trying to stay positive, and continue to work hard despite all that is fighting against me, I have often been ready to just break down and do nothing but complain about life.

   As I was packing up my things to move today, I was looked at all that I own and although I am grateful for all that I have, I am a little sick about how much I own. I thought about the people that I have met on my travels internationally and how they have so little! I was just reminded once again to be grateful for what I have and not to over indulge on things in life. With the opportunity to live in a country that prospers often more than others, I need to remember that it isn't the things that I have that bring me happiness, but the people, the opportunities to learn and grow, and I need to be extra grateful for those things.

   I was checking my email this morning to see if I had a reply from a couple housing inquiries. When I opened my inbox I had an email from my friend Lauren. As I read the email, I started to cry, knowing first hand of similar experiencing that I have witnessed. Here is the email, read through this incredible story, then I will continue with my thoughts.

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, 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, who was mentally and physically disabled 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 I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were 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, '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.'

   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 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 right field. 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 I 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, do 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 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 for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could 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 that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all teammates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' 

   Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far 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, Shay, all the Way Shay'

   Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!

Shay, run to third!' 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!"

 

   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 hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces. 

  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 those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process? 

  A wise man once said, "Every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them." You now have the choice... May your day, be a Shay Day.

 While reading this story, I pictured the hundreds of participants that I am able to work with who have disabilities. I see them struggle to do every day things, I see them not be accepted by their peers, I see them giving so much love to this world, but not getting as much back. Although I have seen the negative, I have also seen the positive! I have been able to see peers of theirs put their arms around them, include them, make them feel like they are on top of the world. I have been able to see them try new things, struggle, but continue in persistence as they grow, progress and strive to be better. They have these abilities that the world often doesn't see in them and each time I am able to see them overcome any obstacles, or try to better themselves in sports and recreation, I see "a piece of true love and humanity" being brought into this world.

   I know that this story may be extra special to me because I have experiences like this nearly every day and it never gets old, but these lessons can also be applied to life in general, in all our interactions with those we share this amazing world with!

   Although life is rough at times and you wonder how you can keep going when you keep getting knocked down, remember that this world is full of goodness, amazing people, amazing experiences that help you grow. Stay optimistic and find hope in the world and the people who share the world with you!

   I am grateful for all that I have, I am grateful for the trials that I experience, the pain that I feel, and the hard times that bring me down to a point where I can feel like the only place to go is up. If it weren't for the trials, I wouldn't have the triumphs. Without the pain, I wouldn't know the joy and peace, and without feeling completely beat down, those times to rise would not be near as significant.   Be Kind. Help others find joy. Love more. Find the good. Stay Strong. Be grateful. Progress!