Assignment - The Starfish Story

The Starfish Story had an incredible moral to it that we often ignore in everyday life. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Small acts of kindness and/or ambition do count. This morning my aunt was taken to the hospital with a blood clot in each lung caused by a previous DVT. This afternoon her leukemia test came back positive. These things are in God’s hands. I cannot cure her or make it better, but I can make a difference. I’ve begun cutting orange ribbon and pinning it to my family and friends since orange is the color for leukemia. Also, I have cut my hair 6 inches shorter as a symbol of my support. Maybe I can’t cure her, or treat her, or hold her hand through chemo, but if I can raise the awareness or at least show support then I have made a difference. I have thrown the starfish back into the water in hopes of prolonging their lives.

There are times where we do what we think is right andn others try to discourage us. We can either let them discourage us and stop trying to make a difference, or we can continue with what we were doing. The best thing to do is continue with what were doing. If we let someone discourage us and we stop trying to make a difference, others will pick up on that and your action of not doing anything will become a chain effect. Pretty soon there will be less and less people who are attempting to make a difference.

All the same, even if it is only a small difference, it can become a learned behavior to someone else as well as a habit for you. So what if you aren't making as a big of a difference as someone else. You are making a bigger difference than those who try to discourage you and you are also making the world that much better for those who come after you. Making a difference is as easy as throwing a starfish back into the sea.

Anyone can make a difference. Sometimes we attempt to make a difference and we feel like we have failed miserably. That is not a reason to give up. We learn from our mistakes and if we keep trying to make a difference it can only get better and better. So why not put forth a little effort every now and then to put a smile on someones face?

It is easy to give in to discouragement. However, most of us will feel better in the end if we make a difference. If I can make someones day better, and they can do the same for another who passes it on as well, I didn't just make one small difference, I made three. The little boy in this short story made a difference to those starfish who he returned to the water. Not only that, but he made a difference when he spoke to the man who had tried to discourage him. Let's make a difference!