'A Piece Of True Love'



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 (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!





"The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. [Joseph Addison]


"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."
[Martin Luther King, Jr.]


"All the technology in the world will never replace a positive attitude."


"A life of reaction is a life of slavery, intellectually and spiritually. One must fight for a life of action, not reaction." [Rita Mae Brown]


"It is better to sleep on things beforehand than to lie awake about them afterward." [Baltasar Gracian]

'Miracles' - 'A mother's worst nightmare' [By: Patricia L. Raymond, MS]


On July 27, 1984, my children Thomas (age 12), Todd (age 9), Shelly (age 3) and I were getting ready for school, daycare and work. I noticed that there was something unusually wrong with Shelly. She was very wobbly when she walked. The boys went to school and I made an appointment with her pediatrician. She examined Shelly thoroughly and determined it to be vertigo, a condition that causes dizziness.


As the day went by, my daughter got progressively worse. By Saturday morning, she could not walk at all or even sit up alone without falling over. The doctor instructed us to meet her at the emergency room at the hospital, where Shelly was admitted and numerous tests were performed. Nothing was found to be abnormal.


By Sunday morning, she was completely paralyzed. Several friends and members of the church we were attending called to say they were praying for Shelly. That afternoon, her aunt, Barbara R., came to sit with us and prayed for God to heal Shelly.


A very short time after that, the neurologist came in and told me he was going to have her moved to the ICU because her condition had continued to worsen and she would need to be monitored more closely.


At that instant, a calm, hazy feeling came over the room. The doctor walked closer to the bed and put his hand on the top of Shelly's head. "What's this?" he said, feeling something on her scalp. He looked more closely and announced, "It's a tick." My daughter had tick paralysis, a life-threatening condition that is easily treatable when properly diagnosed.


Needless to say, there was rejoicing and praising in that room. We know Jesus worked through the doctor to save and heal her. After a few days, she was completely back to normal again.












'Resolve and Resilience From Panic' - "I'm grateful for the experience of my panic, because it taught me that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to panic and anxiety." [By: 'Rita Zoey Chin']



There was a time when basic things ��like driving, climbing a flight of stairs, taking a shower, or going through the checkout line at the grocery store; landed me somewhere between mortal unease and full-throttle terror. It all began with a single panic attack that seemed to strike out of the blue. Mistaking it for a heart attack, I called an ambulance, but I quickly learned that there is no ambulance for an alarm of the mind.


After the first panic attack, I was terrified another would come. And of course, another one came. Once again, the pounding heart, tunnel vision, shaking hands, and inexplicable fear for my life made me feel like there was no safe place in the world. So I began to avoid things that seemed to trigger my panic attacks ��exercise, being in confined spaces, being in open spaces, being in crowds, driving on the highway, etc. but it didn't matter: 'My panic would stop at nothing. I even panicked in my sleep'.


'A Trembling Wreck':


Within weeks, I had gone from a fully functional adult with a family and career to a trembling wreck who could barely function. So I went to the bookstore and bought an armload of anxiety books, then panicked my way through their suggested visualizations, meditations, and affirmations. Deciding I needed something more, I enrolled in an anxiety institute that uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people gain control over their anxiety. With a 95 percent success rate, how could I fail?


Turns out, I was the unlucky five percent. In fact, during my sessions, my panic attacks worsened. I began to think I was 'hopeless', that this was my new life and I would have to accept it. Except, it wasn't a life at all.


So I continued to search for ways to ease my panic; acupuncture, massage therapy, crystal healing, energy work, breathing exercises, a handful of therapists, a personal gym trainer, smile therapy, and retail therapy (I even attempted to hire a dog sitter to sit with me); and while some of these things offered their own small reliefs, I was still besieged with panic attacks.


'Believing in Myself':

Something happened, though, during all of my searching: I started to believe in myself; just a little, but it was just not enough. So what if I failed a therapy that works on most people; I would find something that was right for me. And what I found was a strength in that in knowing I could trust myself to simply not give up. So I kept going.


It wasn't easy, but months later I found a gentle therapist who identified my panic disorder as part of PTSD stemming from my childhood. We began EMDR to process some of the trauma, and within weeks, the fear that had been consuming my life slowly began to recede.


Today I'm grateful for so many things. One is that I am no longer stricken with panic attacks. But more deeply than that, I'm grateful for the experience of my panic, because it taught me that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to panic and anxiety. Instead, we all have our own unique questions to ask, and our own unique paths to the answers.



'Rita Zoey Chin' is the author of 'Let the Tornado Come', the critically acclaimed memoir about her young life as a runaway, her journey through panic disorder as an adult, and the unexpected relationship with a horse who teaches her about fear. 'Rita' lives in the Boston, where she teaches at Grub Street, mentors at-risk teenagers, and surrounds herself with animals.












'Just Perfect'! "If I can do it, so can you. I believe in you. I believe in recovery." [By: 'Hanne Arts']




If anyone had told me several years ago that everything would get better, I would have nodded while screaming 'disbelief' inside my head. I thought things simply could not get better, that I'd be forever feeling imprisoned in a dark room.


While my friends went out, I chose to remain home. When I went to parties, I couldn't help but think I'd have had a better time on my own. Even when surrounded by others, I felt shut-out, as if I were different from everyone else. And when I found myself in intensive care in the hospital, I couldn't even bring myself to reclaim my life.


'Eating Disorder Rooted in Depression':


It took time, but even I (so skeptical) learned to envision a recovery. And I envisioned myself writing about my recovery, helping others even if I wasn't quite sure if I would recover. I battled my inner demons for four more years. I thought I wanted to be 'perfect', but it turns out that I never quite knew what that really was.


But I'm a survivor, living proof that if you put your mind to it, you can overcome your struggles. If I can do it, so can you. I believe in you. I believe in recovery.


I was diagnosed with 'anorexia nervosa' in 2009, although the roots of my illness came from a depression long unnoticed. I received therapy for about four years from two different therapists. When I moved to Slovakia last year, I got a new therapist who is very patient and a great listener.


'Her Best Remedy':


However, my greatest remedy is writing. My novel, 'Just Perfect', is based on the difficult times I've gone through. It took me more than three years to write, but it was definitely worth it. I wanted my work to inspire and help others by sharing my own struggles. I wanted to persuade people that they are not alone and that they, too, have a life worth fighting for.


Writing also lifted a heavy burden off of my shoulders. Penning my thoughts and battles was vital, as was the incessant help of my family. Because you can't win this kind of battle on your own, I urge you to find that person to open your heart to. Speaking with my sister helped me tremendously, preventing my chaotic mess of thoughts from piling up and making me feel more miserable. Without family support, I would not have been able to fight as bravely as I did.


I just want to stress that you, too, should not keep it all locked up inside. So if you have anything you want to discuss or need to let go, I hereby offer you my listening ear in case you ever feel the need because I know you are worth fighting for. I'm sure of it. To all the fighters, don't give up; and don't be afraid to talk to family, friends, or a professional. I know you can do it. Build trust in yourself and make it happen!




'Hanne Arts', who lives in Slovakia, wrote her novel, 'Just Perfect', hoping to help others struggling with depression and eating disorders understand that they are not alone, and that they can overcome their inner demons. "I hope with all my heart," she says, "that it will help you on your road to recovery."

'If I disagree with you sometimes, it's because I have a mind of my own.' [Emma Paul]

Human Beings:











'They' Live To Eat!


















While 'they' Eat To Live!

Human Beings:















Should 'we' feel 'proud' of a 'human-birth'?



















Or, should we feel 'ashamed' of a 'human-birth'?

Kaustuv, everything has a negative & positive....i prefer to focus on the good things....just the same Way i see life....it can be so beautiful if you just open up your mind & see the good & avoid the evil


[Unknown_Romeo]


Thank You 'Romeo'! Thanks for sharing.