07/05/2025
My son Andrew will never get married.
He will never have children, he will never drive a car, he will never experience many things that others take for granted…
But he is happy.
And that is what matters most to me.
When a stranger returns his smile — my whole day instantly becomes brighter.
When a girl smiles at him — his entire body radiates joy.
Because to be a good person, you don’t need much.
One day, at a school fair for children with special needs, the father of one of the students gave a speech that no one ever forgot.
First, he thanked the teachers and staff for their daily efforts.
Then he said something that left a lasting impression:
“When nature runs its course, everything operates in perfect harmony.”
He then added:
“But my son Herbert doesn’t learn like other children. He doesn’t understand the world like others.
So where is the harmony of nature in his case?”
Silence filled the room.
The father continued:
“I believe that when a child like Herbert is born — with physical or mental challenges — the world receives a special opportunity:
An opportunity to show its true nature.
And that nature reveals itself in how we treat those who are most vulnerable.”
Then he shared a story.
One afternoon they were walking past a park where children were playing baseball.
Herbert asked:
— Dad, do you think they’ll let me play?
The father knew they would probably say no.
But he also knew how much it would mean to Herbert just to be part of them, even for a moment.
He approached one of the boys and timidly asked if Herbert could play.
The boy looked around, hesitated, and then said:
— We’re losing by six runs, it’s the eighth inning… he can play. We’ll let him bat in the ninth.
Herbert smiled from ear to ear.
He put on a team shirt, and his father stood on the sidelines with tears in his eyes.
In the eighth inning, Herbert waited excitedly for his turn.
In the ninth inning — they placed him out in the field.
The ball didn’t come his way, but it was enough for him just to be there.
And then — a miracle.
Herbert’s team started to close the gap.
All the bases were loaded, they had two outs, and Herbert was up to bat.
They could have lost the game.
But they let him bat.
The pitcher moved closer and threw the ball softly. Herbert missed.
The pitcher moved even closer and threw again — Herbert barely touched the ball.
It rolled slowly.
The pitcher could have easily picked it up and thrown Herbert out at first base.
But instead, he threw it far and wide.
From the stands, people shouted:
— Run to first, Herbert!
Herbert ran with all his might.
And they kept yelling:
— To second! To third!
The players intentionally fumbled the ball.
Herbert reached third base.
Then — home base!
He stepped on home plate, raised his arms in victory, and his face shone brighter than ever before.
The children from both teams ran to him, lifted him into the air, and celebrated as if they had just won the World Series.
The father concluded his speech, voice thick with emotion:
“That day, the children chose not to win — but to teach the world a lesson of love, humanity, and true goodness.”
Herbert did not live to see the next summer.
He passed away that winter.
But that day — the day he became a hero — stayed with him forever.
And in the hearts of everyone who was there.
Remember:
The true measure of a society is not how it treats its strongest members — but how it treats those who are the most vulnerable.
