Earth’s people have so many needs it can seem impossible to believe our efforts can make a meaningful difference. As soon as we clean up or improve one problem, another one pops up. You and I are only here for a short time. We barely make a dent.
When I was in college I worked evenings at the Des Moines Register. The desk I shared with one of the reporters had this story about saving the starfish taped to her computer. I never forgot this story and it has helped me persevere through times when compassion fatigue or burnout have overwhelmed me. This story helped me focus on the importance of one person. One person is not as overwhelming as billions of people.
You are hearing multiple sound bytes that Christmas is going to be even worse than Thanksgiving with COVID deaths. I am writing to you who are on the fence now about whether you should throw your hands up and say “my doing this isn’t making any difference” or if you can muster up the perseverance to buckle down during this time. I am giving you encouragement to call up within you the courage to do the right thing for the one and for the many.
I KNOW you are missing your pre-COVID life. I am missing pre-COVID life, too.
You are making a difference when you wear a mask when you visit your family. You are making a difference when you insist on social distancing during a holiday gathering. You are making a difference if you step aside for this year’s family celebrations.
That effort is going to help more than you realize. Yes, some of your friends and family are doing to do whatever they want. And your loneliness or need to please them may agonize you about doing the right thing. They may outright ostracize you for taking these measures. I understand.
I truly understand.
But saving one person is significant. Even if that one person is random to you, that one person has and is important to someone else.
Here is the story of the starfish. Maybe it will inspire you like it has inspired me.
The Star Thrower
Once, on ancient Earth, there was a human boy walking along a beach. There had just been a storm, and starfish had been scattered along the sands. The boy knew the fish would die, so he began to fling the fish to the sea. But every time he threw a starfish, another would wash ashore.
An old Earth man happened along and saw what the child was doing. He called out, “Boy, what are you doing?”
“Saving the starfish!’ replied the boy.“
“But your attempts are useless, child! Every time you save one, another one returns, often the same one! You can’t save them all, so why bother trying? Why does it matter, anyway?” called the old man.
The boy thought about this for a while, a starfish in his hand; he answered, “Well, it matters to this one.”
And then he flung the starfish into the welcoming sea.”
― Loren Eiseley, The Star Thrower
