In a world filled with fear and anger, it’s uplifting to hear stories that remind us people still care for one another.
I don’t know — maybe I’m one of the only people on the planet
who hadn’t heard some version of the story of “The Star Thrower”
(or The Starfish Story). But when I first read it, I was so moved.
The message is so simple, yet deeply convicting.
The only real way I can’t make a difference is by standing on the sidelines and never trying.
An old man was walking along the
beach one morning,where a storm
the night before had washed
thousands of starfish ashore.
Further down the beach, he saw
a young woman who appeared
to be dancing. As he got closer, he
realized she wasn’t dancing at all
— she was methodically,
almost rhythmically, stooping to
pick up one starfish after another
and gently tossing them back
into the ocean.
“Why are you throwing starfish
into the ocean?” he asked.
She replied, “Because the sun is
up and the tide is going out.
If I don’t throw them further in,
they’ll die.”
“But, young lady,” the man said,
“don’t you see there are miles
and miles of beach, and thousands
of starfish along it? You can’t
possibly save them all. You could
work all day and not make any
difference at all!”
The young woman listened
politely, then bent down,
picked up another starfish, and
tossed it into the sea.
“It made a difference to that one,”
she said, smiling.
Convicted in his heart, the old man
stooped slowly, picked up a starfish,
and tossed it into the ocean,
saying: “It made a difference to this one, too!”
Even in the most overwhelming circumstances, I need to remember — I can make a difference, even if it’s only for one. And when it feels like all is lost, I want to choose to see the problem in the light of hope, not my hope in the shadow of the problem.
And you never know — your actions might just inspire someone else to do the same.