The Starfish
Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied, "Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can't return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water."
The old man replied, "But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I'm afraid you won't really be able to make of a difference."
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. He turned, smiled and said, "It made a difference to that one."
adapted from "The Star Thrower" by Loren Eiseley
The above story is one most of us have heard many times, but it hits home for me right now.
Now that both of my daughters are grown and away from home I often wonder what I have to contribute to others. How can I make a difference in the life of an other? For the last 22 years my life has been centered around my girls and my family. In raising them to be generous, responsible, loving young women, I felt like I was making a difference in my little part of the world. My goal during that time was to be the best mom and wife that I could be.
Now, my world and focus have changed. Sometimes, as I ponder on my life, I wonder what I have to offer the world. How can I make a difference in the world and in the lives of those around me. At times I have felt empty, feeling that I have nothing to offer. I often look at myself wondering if I really have anything to share with those around me. As I would allow myself to look past the empty feelings and find those gifts and talents I have to offer, I found the answer is a resounding yes!
I have had to take time to think of what talents I really possess. I am not an artist, a singer, a painter, a writer, or a musician. I had to dig deeper. I found that I do have things to share and my goal is to begin to share these gifts more freely with others. I can be a "Star Thrower." I can make a difference in the world by lifting another. Small and simple acts like a heart-felt note, a smile, cookies and a hug on a rough day can often be enough to turn someone's day around. I am now trying not miss these opportunities, for as I try bringing joy to another I bring greater joy in to my own life.
If you would like ideas on how you can serve others, check out the following website. It contains ideas on how you can lift others through random acts of kindness. We would love to hear about some of your experiences.
No comments:
Post a Comment