“Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one.”
--Loren Eiseley
Don't ever think that what you do doesn't make a difference; small things can add up to big changes. We can look at the world and all the suffering, sadness and unrest and become so overwhelmed that we can't possibly fix everything, we do nothing at all. Or we could look around us and think, what can I do today that might make a difference to someone or something? You never know what big impact a small act can make. Be on the lookout for where you may be needed-- a kind word, a donation, a lending hand. It will make a difference, and probably in ways you may never even know.
"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." --Mother Teresa
photo: Elena Morelli
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