The Starfish Thrower

Found this little story today and it came to me just when I needed it.

A boy is walking along the beach when he stumbles across thousands of starfish that have been washed up. He starts to pick them up and throw them back in.  A man approaches him and says, “Son, don’t bother. There are too many. You won’t make a difference.” The boy picks up another, throws it back in, and says, “I made a difference to that one.”

I’ve read this like 4 times already and it still makes me tear up. Isn’t this what Life is all about? Making a difference in one person’s life. Realizing that you might not be able to save the world, but saving one person is more than most of us ever get to do.

There are so many people in my life that are the boy to my starfish. So many people who have thrown me back to where I belong, and keep throwing me back to where I belong. Some of those people know this (because I’m the weirdo who writes letters to people who inspire and motivate me) but some people (those famous types like my favorite authors) won’t ever personally know what they have done for me. The only way I feel I could ever repay them is to pass along the same sentiment to all the starfish looking to be rescued.

This story, although short, keeps making me think more and more. The starfish are so close to the water. So close to where they need to be but they need help finding their way; despite the fact they are on the edge of where they belong. Maybe some of those starfish are content on the sand, even if it’s slowly killing them. Maybe they would rather stay in a place of warmth and false comfort because they don’t want to fight their way through the ocean. Maybe the ocean spit them out for a reason. Maybe the sand is like a Life Timeout. But sooner or later, the person you need finds you and brings you back to where you’re meant to be.