Soundtrack: Early One Morning
"Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity
for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody
else's skin.
It is the knowledge that there can never really be
any peace and joy for me
until there is peace and joy finally for you too."
~Frederick Buechner
for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody
else's skin.
It is the knowledge that there can never really be
any peace and joy for me
until there is peace and joy finally for you too."
~Frederick Buechner
| DawnStar file graphic |
If love touches you once, it touches you forever.
True love never dies and lives on and on.
True love never dies and lives on and on.
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst
them. Those that go through life feeling others, due to what ever circumstances that
dictate their lives, are "less fortunate" than them will always . . . I repeat always . . .
miss out on the true love and joy that all of God's children have to share with each one of
us.
Most of us have seen this article before and had a tear come to our eyes. With
Thanksgiving [1] only a few days away let's send it around one more time. What a great
time to give thanks for each and every Shay in our life that has shared their love with us,
for each of our loved ones and those of others that are fighting a war for us right now,
for all of our family and friends that mean so much to us and finally for our God, no
matter how you choose to come to Him, who gives us all, no matter our struggles, the
ability to share and love with each other.
them. Those that go through life feeling others, due to what ever circumstances that
dictate their lives, are "less fortunate" than them will always . . . I repeat always . . .
miss out on the true love and joy that all of God's children have to share with each one of
us.
Most of us have seen this article before and had a tear come to our eyes. With
Thanksgiving [1] only a few days away let's send it around one more time. What a great
time to give thanks for each and every Shay in our life that has shared their love with us,
for each of our loved ones and those of others that are fighting a war for us right now,
for all of our family and friends that mean so much to us and finally for our God, no
matter how you choose to come to Him, who gives us all, no matter our struggles, the
ability to share and love with each other.
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a MorningStar Vignette
______________________________
a MorningStar Vignette
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Shay – Two Choices
It Brings A Tear To The Eyes
It Brings A Tear To The Eyes
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?
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 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:
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 (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. His Father watched with 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
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.
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 his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his
Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
UPON REFLECTION: 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 public
discussion about human 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.
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 (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. His Father watched with 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
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.
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 his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his
Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
UPON REFLECTION: 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 public
discussion about human 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 its least fortunate
amongst them.
~Public Domain
Contributed by Bill Eagle (Belief by Faith - Service by Grace)
[1] USA Thanksgiving Day: November 22, 2007 [4th thursday in Nov]
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 its least fortunate
amongst them.
~Public Domain
Contributed by Bill Eagle (Belief by Faith - Service by Grace)
[1] USA Thanksgiving Day: November 22, 2007 [4th thursday in Nov]
MorningStar for people
To submit comments, requests or materials,
contact me at outreach@dawncoveabbey.org
contact me at outreach@dawncoveabbey.org
For empowerment workshops, seminars and lectures, see: http://www.dawncoveabbey.org/healing-circle
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MorningStar Inspiration from Dawn Cove Abbey
Article, haiku, humour and poem contributions are welcomed, and gratefully received
Layout & Design by DawnStar
__________________________________________________
MorningStar Inspiration from Dawn Cove Abbey
Article, haiku, humour and poem contributions are welcomed, and gratefully received
Layout & Design by DawnStar
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