There was a young man walking down a beach at dawn. He saw a frail old man picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. The young man gazed in wonder as the old man threw the small starfish from the sand to the water.
He asked “Old man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?”
The old man explained that the Starfish would die if left in the sun.
“But there must be thousands of beaches, and millions of starfish!” exclaimed the young man. “How can you make any difference?”
The old man looked for a minute at the Starfish in his hand. Then, as he threw it back to the safety of the sea, he said, “I made a difference to that one!”
“Fifteen years ago a parent of one of my students shared this story with me in appreciation for making a difference in their lives. It was shared with me once again along with a sterling silver starfish necklace. It was the encouragement and support of these individuals
that led me to you.” – Larrie Ellen Randall
