What You Do Matters
An old man was walking along the beach and saw a little boy occasionally bending down, picking up an object, and throwing it into the ocean. As the old man came closer, he called out to the little boy and said, “Good Morning! May I ask what you’re doing?”
The little boy paused, looked up at the old man, and replied, “I’m throwing starfish back into the ocean. The tide washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the ocean by themselves. As the sun gets higher, they will begin to die unless I throw them back into the water.”
The old man looked around and shaking his head, said, “But there are tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
The little boy bent down, picked up another starfish and gently tossed it back into the water. Then he turned to the old man and with a smile, said, “It made a difference for that one.” (Adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley)
As we maneuver through our unsettling reality, it is hard to know how best to help as people globally struggle to get groceries, pay bills, and figure out how to make it through another week or even a day. We begin to lose the little boy optimism we had merely weeks ago and slowly shift to the old man’s pessimism. We forget that, even in these times, whatever we can do—matters.
People may not know our names and we may not have a wildly successful syndicated television show, but who ever said that is the only way success is measured? We wake up knowing there are problems and issues bigger than ourselves. While we may have limited resources during these uncertain times, we can make a difference even if it’s only for one. Sometimes the smallest and most unexpected act of kindness creates a lifetime impact. Success is measured by the positive difference we make every day.
It may not feel like staying at home is saving lives. It may not feel like much when you pick up extra supplies for an elderly neighbor. It may not feel like help when you contribute to a GoFundMe account for out-of-work employees. It may not feel significant when making a few dozen homemade masks. It may not feel meaningful when we reach out to that friend or loved one who we haven’t connected with in a while. It may not feel like much, but to that one person, it means the world. We may not always know the extent of our impact, but even when it doesn’t feel like it, what we do matters. It matters to that one person struggling to make ends meet or to the person who has a loved one they are trying to protect. Every individual can look in their past and recall one simple act or word of kindness that made all the difference in their life, their perspective, and their future, especially during a pandemic.
We need to do our part to support those essential and frontline workers who are putting their lives in harm’s way every day. We need to be mindful that while it may not feel like much, to those who are fighting to save lives—it can mean everything.
From our families to yours—stay safe, sanitized, and sane…let our humanity define us during this time.
