Making A Difference

There's an ancient story about an old man who used to love walking near the ocean. He'd walk along the beach every morning. One day he saw a person moving like a dancer, bending, then wading into the waves with arms extended. It pleased him that someone would dance to the beauty of the day and the rhythm of the waves. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young girl. The girl wasn't dancing, but was reaching down in the sand, picking something up, and carrying it carefully out into the ocean.

He called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?"

The girl replied, "I'm returning starfish to the ocean."

"Why?"

"The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't rescue them, they'll be stranded on the beach and die."

"But there are miles upon miles of beach and starfish all along the way. What difference can you possibly make?"

The girl didn't answer right away. She bent down, picked up another starfish, and gently placed it in the sea. She watched a wave lift it high, and then as it sank into the life-giving water, she turned to the man, smiled, and said, "I made a difference for that one."

He nodded and reflected for a moment. Then he bent down, picked up a starfish, and returned it to the sea.
(From David Suzuki's Green Guide, p. 144)

Happy Earth Day!