The Starfish Story  --adapted from the writings of Loren Eiseley

As a young boy and girl walked along a beach at dawn, they noticed an old man ahead of them picking up starfish and tossing them into the sea. Catching up with the man, the girl asked why he was doing this. The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun.
“But the beach goes on for miles and there are thousands of starfish,” exclaimed the girl. “How can you alone make any difference?” The old man looked at the starfish in his hand and then tossed it safely into the waves. He turned to them, smiled and said,

“I made a difference to that one. ”