Would you read and share? I know I did.

In one the emails i received a few years ago.

Please read and share with people you know. It might not benefit you, but it might do good on others.

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, physically and  mentally handicapped 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 and some  confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his  handicaps.

Shay's  father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could  play, not expecting much. 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 put on a team shirt with a broad smile  and his Father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The  boys saw the father's joy at his 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 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, 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 '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, recognizing the other team  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 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  game would now be over, but 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 head of the first baseman, out  of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams  started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had  Shay ever ran that far but 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 second base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the  right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team, who had a  chance to be the hero for his team for the first time. He could have  thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the  pitcher's intentions and 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, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and turned 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 those watching  were on their feet 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. 

Shay  didn't make it to another summer and died that winter, having never  forgotten being the hero and making his Father so happy and coming home  and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the  day!