Merry Christmas
Always
believe in MIRACLES!! Three years ago, a little boy and his
grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin . The child
climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl.
"Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"
"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly.
Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.
Santa
tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking
him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. When
they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child
off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.
"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.
"Well,
I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but .." the old woman
began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect the
little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. "The girl in the
photograph... my granddaughter well, you see ... she has leukemia and
isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through
tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way, Santa . any possible way that
you could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas,
is to see Santa."
Santa
blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with
his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do.
Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what
he had to do. "What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed,
dying," he thought with a sinking heart, "this is the least I can do." When
Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening, he
retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was
staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to
Children's Hospital.
"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
Santa
relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier that
day. "C'mon.... I'll take you there," Rick said softly. Rick
drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They found out
which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the
hall.
Santa
quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw
little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her
family; there was the Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met
earlier that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by
the bed, gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. And
another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair
near the bed with weary, sad look on her face. They were talking
quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of the family,
and their love and concern for Sarah. Taking a deep breath, and
forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a
hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!"
"Santa!"
shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to
him, IV tubes in tact. Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm
hug. A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up
at him with wonder and excitement. Her skin was pale and her short
tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy.
But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes.
His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears.
Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps
and quiet sobbing of the women in the room.
As
he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one
by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering
"thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes. Santa
and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys
she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that
year. As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to
pray for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl's mother. She
nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed,
holding hands. Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she
believed in angels.
"Oh, yes, Santa... I do!" she exclaimed.
"Well,
I'm going to ask that angels watch over you," he said. Laying one hand
on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked that
God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. He asked
that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he finished
praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent
Night, Holy Night.... all is calm, all is bright." The family joined
in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope,
tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all. When the
song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's
frail, small hands in his own.
"Now,
Sarah, "he said authoritatively," you have a job to do, and that is to
concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your
friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair
Mall this time next year!" He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to
this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to
give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys --
but the gift of HOPE.
"Yes, Santa! "Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright.
He
leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Out in
the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between
them and they wept unashamed. Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped
out of the room quickly and rushed to Santa's side to thank him.
"My
only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "This is
the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and hugged him.
One
year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his
six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by
and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap. "Hi, Santa!
Remember me?!"
"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her.
After
all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each child
feel as if they are the "only" child in the world at that moment.
"You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped.
Tears
immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and
held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized
her,for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much
different from the little girl he had visited just a year before. He
looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines
smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.
That
was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed --and
been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of
hope.
This
precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well. He
silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father.
'Tis a very, Merry Christmas!
If you believe in miracles you will pass this on...I did!
The internet is a strange and wondrous place. It’s amazing the people you can meet, and talk with, and have become your friends, and yet you never meet them face to face.
Last week I was telling you about a friend that was struggling with their spouse, and I wanted to play a song that seemed to go along with that. Well I couldn’t get the song to work. I finally got it to work thanks to a great friend that I have never met.
What I mean by all of this is I have a friend online who has hooked me up with the space needed to play some files. I met this friend through pc gaming. You see I have a love for racing games. Need the speed games and all other racing games. I ended up getting on a forum called www.needthespeed.net with a lot of friends. This place and group of friends are from all over the world. It’s so amazing to see the great people that you can meet. It’s cool learning a little about what people are like in other countries. It’s refreshing getting to understand that they are mostly just like us. This blog in itself has introduced me to some great people.
Anyway Thanks Viking and I hope you all enjoy this song. It is how we all feel I’m sure from time to time.. Apologies for the language.
The guy waits and waits and finally decides to drive home. When he gets there, he tells his wife he is going to bed, and to tell anyone who might come looking for him that he has the flu and has been in bed all day.
A few hours later the police knock on the door. They ask if Mr. X lives there and his wife says yes. They ask to see him and she replies that his is in bed with the flu and has been so all day. The police have his driver's license.
They ask to see his car and she asks why. They insist on seeing his car, so she takes them to the garage and opens the door where they find: the police car, lights still flashing.
Hope you enjoyed that one.
All right, I know it’s been a long time. Things have been strange around here lately. Nothing that I can put my finger on but strange none the less. The eye surgery has gone well. The first week was hard, but I’m seeing pretty well now, and I like not having to worry about contacts anymore.
My wife has spent the last few weeks working like crazy. There was some upset at work, and her boss quit. She has been trying to do her job and his for a while now. I hardly see her anymore. I sure hope they get someone hired soon. It’s really strange, I’m the kind that is waiting around for her to come home, and I’m excited to see her, but then when she walks in, I can’t show that I’m happy to see her. I don’t know why, but I guess it’s a hide my emotions kinda thing.
Work for me has been interesting. They have posted the position of Sgt. So someone is moving up in ranks. I have the qualifications to apply, but I know it’s not my turn yet. There are two that have applied. One of them is a detective. I am waiting to see who gets it, because if the detective gets the Sgt. Position I plan on applying for the detective slot. I think I would really like that job, but at the same time I’m pretty apprehensive. Always hard to move out of your comfort zone I guess.
Anyway, I will try to keep this updated a little better.
LASIK surgery, if you don't know what it is, well it's when they burn your eyes with Lasers in hopes that you will be able to see better afterwards. I just recently had this done. I was told by many many people that it was a breeze, and you would be able to see the moment you got out of the building. They said you would be light shy for a while but other than that you would be great.
It has been one week since I had it done; my vision is almost back to 100 percent. I still have to put some drops in my eyes that make it hard for me to focus. Tomorrow I stop taking those drops so I hope that my vision will be great. The surgery itself kind of sucked, but I suppose as surgeries go it was pretty easy. They put this clamp on your eye, and tighten it up so that you can't close your eye. Kind of hurts, then they put this suction cup thing on your eyeball, and then cut the top layer off of your eye. They pull that back and they begin burning your eye with the laser. It's a bit unnerving when you realize you can smell your eyeball burning. Smells kind of like burnt flesh. When I stood up from the LASIK, It looked like someone had put a sheet of that really thick plastic in front of me. I couldn't see very well at all. The rest of that day my eyes hurt, but the next day they felt pretty good, and now they feel really good.
The bad thing for me is my eyes were so bad they have already told me that I would need to come back in and have this done again. I guess if your adjustment is too high, it will require a touch up surgery to make sure you don't need glasses again.
10- In one week, I pulled over 10 cars for minor equipment violations:5 out of 10 had no vehicle insurance.
3 out of 10 had suspended driver's licenses.
2 out of 10 had warrants.
1 out of 10 had felony warrants.
1 was a known sex offender with his 12 year old niece in the
car without her mother's knowledge.
11- If you've just been pulled over doing 70 in a 35, do not greet
the officer with "what seems to be the problem, officer".
12- We get coffee breaks too, and sometimes we run into stores and
do some shopping during them.
13- When you're the victim of a burglary, take the time you spend
waiting for the officer to find the model numbers and the serial numbers of
the stuff that was taken.
14- Some cops are just jerks, but take heart in the fact that other
cops don't like them either.
15- If it's nighttime and you're driving a vehicle with tinted
windows and I pull you over, it's not because of your skin color. I
usually can't tell if the vehicle even has a driver un til the windows are
rolled down.
16- Every time you hear on the news about people running away from a
crazed gunman, someone's son or daughter in a police uniform is
running TOWARD that crazed gunman.17- Yes, it's true; cops usually don't give other cops tickets.
Think of it as an employee discount, perk or benefit. Other cops are
family and you wouldn't give your brother a ticket if you were a cop
either.
18- If your local police agency has a helicopter, everyone knows
it's loud and annoying, but did you know it can cover the same area as
15-20 patrol officers, and safely chase criminals that are driving 90
MPH through city streets. Many times the guy has no idea it's there
and slows down.
19- Your 5 year old kid getting pushed down by another 5 y ear old
kid is NOT a police matter; talk to the other kid's parents, not the
police.
20- If your kid won't do his homework or do his chores, 911 is not
the answer for a uniformed parent.
21- Police work is...writing reports.22- If you rob a gas station you're only going to get $20, but I get
to see a K-9 dog use your arm as a chew toy. For all I care you can
keep the $20.
23- In 1 year of patrol work in a large city only about 10 minutes
would be cool enough to be on the television show, COPS. But if COPS
was about report writing and accident reports, each show would be a
year long.
24- Every traffic stop could end in gunfire, but we have to be
polite and professional until that time.
25- I've taken about the same amount of men and women to jail for
domestic violence, so NO it's not always the man.
26 -People love fire fighters. WHY?
27- If you find crack pipes in the ladies purse, there is a good
chance they belong to her.
28- If the light WAS yellow, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
29- Cops know you pay taxes and that your taxes pay cops' salaries.
Cops also pay taxes, which also pay cops' salaries so, hey; this
traffic stop is on me. Now sign here; press hard, there are five
copies.
I’m just curious what goes through peoples minds when they run from the cops. Ok so here is the situation. I get called to a residence about a lady that won’t leave. I will call her Dodo just because. When we get there Dodo decides she doesn’t want to talk to us so she gets in her car and takes off. I of course follow her, and then attempt to make a traffic stop. Well Dodo decides that she really doesn’t want to talk to me so she just keeps driving. Well now we are in a pursuit. She is not speeding, she just won’t stop. Another officer gets in front of her with lights and siren blaring. He tries to get Dodo to stop by boxing her in. Dodo apparently decides this is a good time to try to go around the other officer, so she tries to go around. She just about hit the other officer so he finally lets her by. I get back in behind Dodo, and we continue to follow her with the lights and sirens.
At this point I’m thinking Dodo must be really stupid. We keep following her, not at high speed or anything. I’m trying to figure out where she thinks she is going. Anyway she runs a lot of stop signs, and is lucky no one was coming too fast down the streets. She then pulls into her driveway, and stops. I guess she figures that if she makes it home we will just let her go… OK well she’s home lets just leave her alone now. NOT!
We end up dragging her out of her car, and taking her to jail. Now here is the kicker. When she did finally stop, and we made it to her car door, I realize there is a 7 month old baby in a car seat, but not buckled in. The baby is screaming, and I’m appalled that she put her baby in this kind of danger. We charged her with endangering a child, and eluding. This hasn’t gone to court yet so I can’t tell you any details, but I bring it back to … Where in the hell did she think she was going to go. If she had simply pulled over when I first attempted to stop her she would have not been charged with anything. She would have simply been told to stay away from the property that she had originally been at.
I willl give a full report when i get back, and if i am able to get internet while i'm there maybe I will even update while I'm there. 
I found this on the internet today, and thought it was so true. I will have to dedicate this one to my wife, who has stood by me through a lot of hard times. Being a Police officer is definatley not easy. There is a lot of stress that inevitably comes home with you. There is also not a lot of money to be made in police work.
Thanks for everything
I love you Mindy.
.....Author Unknown
A special kind of woman:
A cut above the rest,
That's A POLICE OFFICER'S WIFE,
rating her the best.
How many goodbyes are whispered,
joined with a fond embrace?
As duty steals her man,
for the danger he must face.
How often have meals been ruined,
or tender moments disturbed,
by a call for a special duty,
sparking loyalty unswerved?
It's a devil of a job,
for an angel like this,
Who, for the love of her man,
must forsake that kiss.
She can run a garden tractor,
even paint a room in need,
How she can stretch a dollar-
is a miracle indeed.
She's a mother, lover,
chauffeur, and nurse,
A living symbol of:
"for better or for worse."
Rich is the man,
reaping his rewards in life,
who chose to be the other half of
A POLICE OFFICER'S WIFE.
"Yes Me the Lousy Cop" | |
Well Mr. Citizen, I guess you have me figured out. I seem to fit neatly into the category you place me in. I'm stereotyped, characterized, standardized, classified, grouped, and always typical. I'm the "lousy cop." Unfortunately, the reverse isn't true. I can never figure you out.
From birth you teach your children that I am the bogeyman, and then you're shocked when they identify me with my traditional enemy, the criminal. You accuse me of coddling juveniles, until I catch your kid doing something. You may take an hour for lunch, and have several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer if you see me having just one cup.
You pride yourself on your polished manners, but think nothing of interrupting my meals at noon with your troubles. You raise hell about the guy who cuts you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and I'm picking on you. You know all the traffic laws, but never got a single ticket you deserved. You shout "foul" if you observe me driving fast enroute to an emergency call, but literally raise hell if I take more than ten seconds responding to your call!!!
You call it "part of the job" if someone strikes me, but it's "police brutality" if I strike back. You wouldn't think of telling your dentist how to pull a badly decayed tooth, or your doctor how to take out your appendix, but you are always willing to give me a few pointers on law enforcement. You talk to me in a manner and use language that would assure a bloody nose from anyone else, but you expect me to stand and take it without batting an eye.
You cry, "Something has to be done about all the crime!" but you can't be bothered with getting involved.
You've got no use for me at all, but, of course, it's OK if I change a tire for your wife, or deliver your baby in the back seat of my patrol car on the way to the hospital, or save your son's life with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, or work many hours over-time to find your lost daughter.
So Mr. Citizen, you stand there on your soapbox and rant and rave about the way I do my job, calling me every name in the book, but never stop a minute to think that your property, your family, or maybe your life might depend on one thing, ME, or one if my buddies.
"YES ME THE LOUSY COP"
By
Author Unknown
On mothers day we took a trip into Yellowstone National Park. We went and saw some of the paint pots, and of course Old Faithful. It was a fun trip; we saw a lot of Wildlife, Buffalo and Elk were everywhere. It’s nice to live so close that you can just make a day trip of it.
I made a video of the day. I finally found a way to get one of my vids to work again; I had to sign up for a new account at Filelodge. Pretty stupid, but it worked so here you go.
"Policeman's Prayer"
When I start my tour of duty God,
Wherever crime may be,
as I walk the darkened streets alone,
Let me be close to thee.
Please give me understanding with both the young and old.
Let me listen with attention until their story's told.
Let me never make a judgment in a rash or callous way,
but let me hold my patience let each man have his say.
Lord if some dark and dreary night,
I must give my life,
Lord, with your everlasting love
protect my children and my wife.
(Author Unknown)
Interview and Interrogation Class
Well I started an interview and interrogation class today. It promises to be a really good class, and I believe it will be an excellent tool. We learned all about different personalities today. Basically there are 4 types, and it helps to know what kind of person you’re dealing with Dominant, Influential, Steadfast, and Compliant. It’s pretty interesting to find out what type of person you are compared to others. We break it down to what is important to each type of personality and then interview or interrogate accordingly. I’m pretty excited to learn more about this, and I’m looking forward to the next 4 days.
What type of personality do you think you fall under? Well there are tons of tests you can take online. Most of them will give you a pretty accurate description of yourself. I will see if I can find one and post a link here. I just need to find one that I think is worthy of a link. J
TASER CLASS 2
Ok the video is finally here. I think you will enjoy it. I had a lot of fun putting it together. I have made a censored version and an uncensored version, because there may be some kids getting to see this. The links for the better quality vids are on the side here, the one playing is low quality. Enjoy!!!
Ok, so it’s a new month. I thought I would reset the counter and see how many visits I get in a month. Sounds like a good idea anyway. So if you visit my site, and read this then be sure to leave a shout out in the comments for me.
I’m currently working on the new Taser video, it is almost done. Just needs a few more refining touches, and I need the file lodge to hurry up and fix there server so I can post it on my site. I think everyone in the class has seen the first video and made a conscious effort not to scream out like we did. There are still some funny ones, and of course it still hurts like hell. As soon as I can it will be up.
Let’s see on a more family oriented topic, my son had his pinewood derby races this last week. He didn’t win, but he came in 4th or 5th out of 22 kids. He was pretty happy about that. His car is looks like a log with a beaver driving. They give out an award to all the kids, and he got ‘The best Log Ride”. I thought it was funny but he wasn’t too impressed with the award. I think he really wanted to win the contest. We had fun, and there are some pictures here to prove it.
oops guess I can't add the photos just yet, will have to do that later
It has been one of those weeks. Seems that spring has finally decided to peek out from behind the slick roads, and snow covered fields. I’m very excited for spring, or should I say I’m excited for ATV season. J
There is a problem with warmer weather though. I have found it out this week; seem criminals like the warm weather too. We have been very busy for the last 4 days. DUI’s, brutal batteries, pursuits, house fires, and much more. Oh and I forgot underage alcohol. The kids are getting spring fever as well, and that brings the drinking parties.
We had another Taser class this week for those in our departments that couldn’t get to the last class. I plan on making another video of that when I get the video footage. I will get it on my site, as long as everyone involved is willing.
09:29 AM MST on Monday, March 6, 2006
Associated Press COEUR D'ALENE -- State officials say that methamphetamine use is responsible for the increasing number of foster children in Idaho. About 40 percent more children are in foster care due to abuse and neglect than four years ago. A spokesman for the state health department says that in some areas, almost 80 percent of foster cases are connected to substance abuse. Cities and lawmakers are drafting rules to be tougher on meth users and producers. A proposal in the Legislature would put pregnant women in jail for using meth and other illegal drugs.
 | ||||||||||
| Idaho Falls - |
Recent reports have shown that Idaho is in the nations top percentage rating when it comes to meth treatment and Eastern Idaho suffers from the affects of meth as well. I went into the streets today and uncovered the truth about the meth problem in our community and what can be done to make it better. This is Addictions Rehabilitation Association incorporated.The people who live here are recovering from Alcohol or drugs.People like Nathan Summers, who started using meth when he was 14 and has been clean now for 10 months. He says he never thought his life would turn out this way... " I thought that I would be in prison by now but I got the chance to go through rehabilitation and I'm making the most of this situation."
-Nathan Summers Nathan says that meth is a problem in our communities especially the area that he grew up in."This area in Idaho Falls is known by addicts as midget market, even through police are trying to crack down on this area, users say that there is still a major meth problem."People like John Gaskill are doing everything they can to help the problem.His rehabilitation center is full with an extensive waiting list. He believes "once these people get over their addiction, their criminal behavior will also go away."
-john GaskillUsers say this is not a drug to play around with..."once you get started it will ruin your life."
If you are in need of substance abuse help you can call business psychology association 1-800-922-3606 or the director of the rehab facility himself at (208) 522-6012.
Ok I have talked to almost eveyone on the video, I think i'm pretty safe to get the video back up. I hope you all enjoy.
Read This Slowly and think!!!!
Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often? When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow. Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in uniform.
"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
"Hello, Jack." No smile.
"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."
"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once."
Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement.
"Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?"
"I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct"
Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.
"What'd you clock me at?"
"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"
"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as saw you. I was barely nudging 65."
The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
"Please, Jack, in the car"
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.
"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out o f his voice.
Bob returned to his police car without a word Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost?
Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read: "Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter she was six when killed by a car. You guessed it- a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left."
"Bob"
Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived. Life is precious. Handle with care.
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. As Shay neared 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! "
All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay"
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 apiece 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!
