Every day I get at least three of those sappy Internet parables about the tormented poor orphan kid who prevails over bullies with Jesus as his bodyguard, warnings against kidnappings in parking lots or the dangers of pre-cut carrots.
I always wonder, who writes these things? So I decided to start my own email chain letter in hopes that it will go viral and become part of lesbian urban legend.
The Choice
At a church fundraising dinner, a parishioner -- a mother with a teenage daughter -- delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the church and its dedicated clergy and her fellow parishioners, she offered a question:
"When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my daughter, Olivia, is not like other teenagers. She does not love the same way as other teens do. So where is the natural order of things in my daughter?'
The audience was stilled by the query.
The mother continued. "I believe that when a child like Olivia 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 she told the following story:
Olivia and I walked past a park where some girls were playing softball. Olivia asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?" I assumed the girls would not want someone like Olivia on their team but as a mother I also understood that if my daughter were allowed to play, it would give her a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others.
I approached one of the girls on the field and asked -- not expecting much -- if Olivia could play. I explained to them that Olivia had never played softball before, but she really liked girls. The girl looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess she can be on our team and we'll try to put her in to bat in the ninth inning."
Olivia shyly went 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 girls saw my joy at my daughter being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Olivia's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
In the top of the ninth inning, Olivia put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came her way, she was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to her from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Olivia's team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Olivia was next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Olivia bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, they gave Olivia the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Olivia didn't even know how to hold the bat properly.
However, as Olivia stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, Sam, a tomboy of a girl with a bit of a swagger, saw something in Olivia that made her want to put aside winning for this moment in Olivia's life. She moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Olivia could at least make contact...
The first pitch came and Olivia swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Olivia.
As the pitch came in, Olivia swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over.
Sam picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first base player, Tammy, who happened to be Sam's ex.
Olivia would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, Sam threw the ball right over Tammy, out of reach of all team mates.
Everyone from the stands, knowing the dyke drama that had occurred between the Sam and Tammy, realized what was happening, and both teams started yelling, "Olivia, run to first!"
Never in her life had Olivia ever felt so excited, and she made it to first base.
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She scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and exhilarated.
Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!"
Olivia awkwardly ran towards second, breathlessly making it to the base.
By the time Olivia rounded toward second base, the right fielder, Mel, had the ball. Mel, who was also Tammy's ex, was the most femme girl on their team, and she now had her first chance to be the hero for her team and really show Tammy who was top.
Mel could have thrown the ball to Tammy for the tag, but she understood what Sam was going through because Tammy had pulled some real shit on her too while they were together, so she intentionally threw the ball high and far over the head of Janice, the third base player, who was very impressed that Tammy had stood up to Tammy like that.
Olivia ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of her circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, 'Olivia, Olivia, Olivia, all the way Olivia!'
Olivia reached Mel at third base because the opposing shortstop, Kathy, who had dated Mel, Sam and Janice, ran to help her by turning her in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Olivia, run to third!"
As Olivia rounded third, the girls from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, "Olivia, run home! Run home!"
Olivia ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for her team.
"That day," said the mother softly, with tears now rolling down her face, "The girls from both teams helped bring a little bit of true love and humanity into this world."
Olivia didn't make it to the next season of softball. She accidentally suffocated using a dental dam following a T-dance and downing way too many Jell-O shooters. She died in Sam's arms that summer, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy and coming home and seeing her father tearfully embrace her as daddy's little champ.
The moral of the story is that we all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the "natural order of things."
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity, or do we pass up those opportunities to make the world a little warmer and more welcoming?
You now have two choices:
1. Ignore this story and go about your usual business of the day
2. Send this to 10 lesbians you care about
May your day, be an Olivia Day.
