SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

 At a fund raising 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 asked a question:' When not interfered with outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son Varun , cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do......Is this the fault of my son ...?' 

The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Varun, who is 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 true incident that happened with his son :

Varun and I had walked past a park where some boys that he knew were playing baseball. Varun asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play Dad ?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Varun 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 Varun could play with them. The boy looked around for approval from his friends 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.' 

Varun 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, Varuns team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.   In the top of the ninth inning, Varun 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, Varuns team scored again. Now, the potential winning run was on base and Varun was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Varun bat and give away their chance to win the game?

 Surprisingly, Varun was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Varun didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as he stepped up the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Varuns  life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so that Varun could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Varun swung clumsily and missed. 

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards him. As the pitch came in, he 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. Varun 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, 'Varun , run to first...!  Run to first!' 

Never in his life had Varun 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, he awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time he 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. Varun ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. 

All were screaming, Varun...Varun Varun all the way ...!!!

He 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!, run to third!' 

As Varun rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Varun , run home! Run home!'He  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'.

Unfortunately Varun 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 MY DEAR FRIENDS A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY.......... 

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.