這是由一個朋友轉來的Email,
由於他的女兒Renee有先天的缺陷所以對本故事特別有感觸。而我也覺得這個故事值得與大家分享，所以試著把它翻譯出來，或許有人已經看過了，但....再看一次又何妨，一定也有人翻譯過了，但我再翻譯一次….也值得。

兩個選擇

你會怎麼做？請你作出你的選擇，這不是什麼機智問答。總之讀下去，我的問題是：你會作出同樣的選擇嗎？

在一個學習遲緩兒童學校的募款餐會上，在場的所有人永遠忘不了其中一個學生的父親所說的話。

在推祟學校和教職員的付出和貢獻後，這個家長問了一個問題：

照理說在無外力干擾下，大自然所創造的一切都是完美的。但我的兒子，西恩，他無法像別的孩子一樣的學習，他無法像別的孩子一樣的理解事物。< BR>
在我孩子身上，大自然的法則何在？

所有聽眾都啞口無言。

這個父親繼續說。我相信當像西恩這樣有身體及心智殘缺的孩子來到這個世界，是一個展現人類真實本性的機會。而這一次體現在別人如何對待這個孩子。

接著，他說了下面這個故事：

西恩和我走過一個公園，裡面有些西恩所認識的男孩正在玩棒球。西恩問我：＂你想他們會讓我一起玩嗎？＂我知道大部份的孩子不會想要有西恩這樣的孩子在自己的隊上，但身為一個父親我同時也知道若他們能讓我兒子參加，這會讓他得到他所迫切需要的歸屬感並建立起自己雖然是殘障仍能被接受的信心。

我走近一個男童（不抱太大希望的）問他西恩可否參加，他看看周圍的隊友然後說＂我們輸了6分而現在正在第8局上，我想他何以參加我們的隊， 我們會在第9局設法讓他上場打擊。”

西恩帶著滿臉的喜悅困難的走向他的球隊的休息區，穿上該隊的球衣，我悄悄的滴下眼淚而心中有滿滿的溫暖。而那些男孩也看出了我對於兒子被接納的喜悅。

在8局下，西恩的隊有追了上來，但仍然還輸3分。

第9局上半場，西恩戴上手套防守右外野，雖然没有球往他的位置飛來，但能在場上他已經很高興了，我從看台上向他揮手他笑的合不攏嘴。

在9局下，西恩的球隊又得分了。

而此時，二出局滿壘的狀況，下一棒是球隊逆轉的機會，而西恩正是被排在這一棒。

在這個重要關頭，他們會讓西恩上場打擊而放棄贏球的機會嗎？

讓人驚奇的是他們真的把球棒交給了西恩，大家都知道西恩根本不可能打到球，因為他甚至不知道怎麼握球棒更別談碰到球了 。
然而當西恩踏上打擊位置，投手已經明白對手為了西恩生命中重要的這一刻放下贏球的機會，所以他往前走了幾步投了一個很軟的球給西恩讓他至少能碰一下。

第一球投出來，西恩笨拙的揮棒落空。

投手又再往前走了幾步投出一個軟軟的球給西恩。

當球飛過來西恩揮棒打出一個慢速的滾地球，直直的滾向投手。

球賽眼看就要結束。

投手撿起這軟軟的滾地球，他可以輕易的把球傳給一壘手讓西恩出局而結束這場球賽。

然而投手把球高高的傳往一壘手的頭頂上方通過，讓他所有的隊友都接不到。

每個站在看台上的人不管是那一隊的都開始喊著：＂西恩，跑到一壘！跑到一壘！跑到一壘！＂

西恩這輩子從來没有跑這麼遠過，但他還是努力跑到了一壘。

他踩上壘包眼睛張 的很大而且很驚喜。

每個人都喊著說：＂西恩，跑向二壘，跑向二壘！＂

剛喘過氣，西恩蹣跚的跑向二壘，很辛苦的往壘包跑。

這時，就在西恩往二壘跑時，右外野手拿到了球，這個全隊最矮的小子第一次有了成為隊上英雄的機會了。

他大可把球傳向二壘，但這個全隊最矮的小子了解投手的心意，所以他也把球故意高高傳過三壘手的頭頂過去。

當前面的跑者往本壘跑時，西恩跌跌撞撞的往三壘跑。

大家都大喊著，＂西恩，跑,下去，跑下去。＂

西恩能到達三壘是因為對方的遊擊手跑來幫忙將他帶往三壘的方向，而且喊著，＂跑到三壘，西恩，跑到三壘。＂

當西恩抵達三壘，雙方的選手和所有的觀眾都站起來，高喊著，＂西恩，全壘打！全壘打！＂

西恩跑回本壘踩上壘包時 ，大家為西恩大聲喝采就如他打了一個大滿貫並為全隊贏的比賽的英雄般。

＂那一天＂，那個父親兩頰淚流滿面輕柔的說，＂兩隊的男孩子把真愛和人性的光輝帶進了這個世界。＂

西恩没能活到另一個夏天，他在那年的冬天過逝，但他從没忘記他曾經是個英雄而且讓我那們高興，以及他回家時看著媽媽流著淚擁著她的小英雄的那一天！

現在；是關於這個故事的一點附註：

我們不假思索的用email把數以千計的笑話傳來傳去，但當我們遇到要傳送有關生命的選擇的信件時，我們反而感到猶豫了。

粗俗、野蠻和經常是有點淫穢的東西每天在網路上無限制的傳播著，反而高尚的事情的討論卻在學校裡及辦公室裡被壓抑著。

如果你在思考著把這封email轉寄出去，可能你會在你的連絡人上挑選出那些不 適合收到這封信的人，然而把這封email寄給你的人相信我們可以讓世界變的不一樣。

我們每天都有無數的機會可以協助去體現大自然的法則。

很多人與人之間微不足道的互動都是一個選擇的機會。

到底我們是把愛和人性的光輝傳遞下去，或者放棄這些機會使得這世界一點點的更冷默。

有一個智者說過；要評價一個社會就要看這個社會如何去對待他們之中最不幸的人。

所以現在你有兩個選擇；

1.      刪除
2.      轉寄

但願你的每一天都是西恩日





Dear friends,

As the father of Renee who is born with special needs I strongly feel
that I want to share this story with you all.
Tq Ralph

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?



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 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 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.

B y 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!



AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO  THIS STORY:

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.



If  you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that
you're  probably sorting out the people in your address book who
aren't the  'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well,
the person who  sent you this believes that we all can make a
difference.

We  all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help
realize the  'natural order of things.'

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 two choices:

1. Delete

2.  Forward


May  your day, be a Shay Day.