It is easy to feel overwhelmed and not sure of what you can do in this chaotic time of ours. Like you, I keep asking myself, what can I do to make a real difference in the world? As I was pondering this question, a story popped up into my mind and I want to share it with you.
Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance, he could see a person going back and forth between the surf’s edge and the beach. Back and forth this person went. As the man approached, he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide.
The man was struck by the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached, the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.
As he came up to the person, he said: “You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The person looked at the man. She then stooped down and pick up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. She then looked back to the man and said: “It sure made a difference to that one!”
– Author unknown
After writing this, I was walking near Union Square when something got caught in my throat. I started choking. A guy on a bike pulled up to me and asked if I was ok and if I needed help. I didn’t, but that act of kindness made my day.
Until next time,
Barbara