It Makes a Difference

This story has been told hundreds of times in those inspirational talks….a father and son are walking on the beach and the son notices dozens of starfish washed ashore during the high tide. The son picks one up and throws it back into the sea. Then he picks up another and does the same. The father says to the son that there are so many washed up that he’s wasting his time that it won’t make any difference. The son then tosses another starfish in the ocean, and says, “It makes a difference to that one.”

So, that’s what I saw on my recent beach walk—starfish washed ashore. I thought of the boy as I placed the starfish back into the safety of the water. Then I recalled the most recent debate with the Democratic candidates for president—they all thought that investment was needed in our public schools. I think Republicans would agree. It’s just the policies that differ.


We all care about our nation’s kids—the battles are fought over how we can help.

But while the arguments are waged on debate platforms and in the halls of Congress, kids are walking the halls of our nation’s schools. Some come from homeless conditions—living in a vehicle that serves as a nightly shelter. Some are struggling to read, write, and understand math.

This is where a volunteer can make a difference to one child. I recently spotted several volunteers making a difference when they took a group of inner-city youth on a three-day backpacking trip along the Pacific Ocean. Can you imagine a group of teen boys without cell phones for three days? They watched the sun rise and the night stars. It’s a trip they’ll never forget.

I've watched volunteers listen to kids read, while others are coaches. One volunteer helped a student in math until he was able to pass his tests and graduate. Mission accomplished.

I’m inspired by school volunteers. They don't wait for Congress to act, they just know that making a difference to one matters. And they're doing it now.

As I tossed another starfish back into the sea, it made a difference to that one.

Popular posts from this blog

Counting the Cost

Image
Something big is missing in this photo. Let me explain. Here in my hometown, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe prepared a parcel of land for a new hotel. Plenty of planning and architectural designs were evaluated. A gemstone of a hotel would be built across from the waterfront—a beautiful, restful place welcoming travelers. A true four-star facility.   They cleared the aging brick structures that had been fading away between Front Street and Railroad Avenue. Then the pandemic hit, shortages of labor and supplies, add in the costly inflation that followed. Everything stopped.   But this is what I admire about the Elwha Tribe: they have counted the cost. They didn’t want to move forward and take on tremendous debt. They would rather move slowly and be financially ready, rather than begin building and then letting it sit unfinished.   Counting the cost is something I should have done earlier in life when I didn’t know what high interest rates would do to our farming cost...
Read more

Summertime Music

Image
During the summer months, in an outside seating area, a delightfully painted piano sits with a sign that says, “Play me”.   It was just before 8 pm as I walked past the piano. My bus would be arriving soon, and I still have another ten minutes to walk before reaching my bus stop. But no one is around. It’s a beautiful warm evening. I pulled out the piano bench and sat down. The sun was behind me, and the piano keys reflected its glow. I had no music in front of me, only the songs within me. Notes drifted into the air.  In those brief moments, the magic of music and summer came together. Isn’t that how it is? Summertime music has a way of lingering in our minds and lasting a lifetime. As I stood and grabbed my things, I heard distant clapping—I guess I wasn’t alone, after all.
Read more

Planting Good Seeds

Image
Harvest will always depend on what we plant and how well we care for our crop.    Looking over my seed packets, I notice they’re different than the ones I planted before. One package is called Word seeds. The directions say that each of my words is a seed, so it cautions me to think before I speak. Harsh words don’t produce sweet, nourishing fruit. These seeds will require thoughtful care in the garden. I see some Volunteer seeds. Those extra hours I tend to fritter away are going to be planted in a useful project.   It looks like time isn’t wasted in this garden plot. Next are some Love seeds—the directions are interesting: get up each day and love others. No specifics are given—just do something for someone every day. The seed package shows pictures of smiling faces. I smile back. As I’m ready to head to the garden with my seeds, a package falls to the ground. I open it. Inside are the tiniest seeds I’ve ever seen—but the directions s...
Read more