[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] FW: SHAY

Wed Aug 18 14:10:46 UTC 2021

From: Larry Perry <larryperry at performancepress.ccsend.com> On Behalf Of Larry Perry
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2021 8:11 AM
To: mmoore11 at kent.edu
Subject: EXT: SHAY

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Letter from Larry

Wednesday

August 18, 2021

Good Wednesday Morning Everyone:

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.

Two Choices,What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look 

for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would

you have made the same choice?

This month the Special Olympics are held for those who are mentally 

challenged, but who are heroes and good athletes themselves. This story

is a true story and I have shared with you before, but is so moving I wanted

to share it again. We salute those special young men and women who

participate.

SHAY

'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 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 team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, 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 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! 

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!

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least 

fortunate amongst them.

May your day, be a Shay Day.

May God place His Grace on you and yours and be thankful for 

what you have!!

Larry

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