Saving Fishes
Cast up by the sea and left stranded...what can be done?
A timeless message.
A man takes a long walk down the beach. He notices that the tidal sand is covered with fish – thousands of fish, cast up by the sea and left stranded to die at the receding tideline. They are flopping about, furiously gasping to stay alive. The man sees a young woman up ahead on the deserted beach. She picks up a fish and throws it as far as she can back into the sea. She throws another, and another, and another, returning them to the surf to swim away. She is making a determined attempt to save the fish, yet scarcely makes a dent in their numbers. Feeling sorry for her, he approaches. “You are working so hard here - you are wearing yourself out! Can’t you see there are thousands of dying fish here? You can’t save them. You can’t possibly make a difference.”
Holding up a fish, she smiles at the man. “I can make a difference to THIS one,” she says, and she tosses it into the water and bends down for another. He thinks for a few seconds, then he, too, bends down and picks up a fish.
So many people these days are in need and we often feel we can’t help because the problem is simply too big, too overwhelming. So we excuse ourselves and do nothing. You and I probably cannot make a difference on a global scale, maybe not even on a local scale, but we can make a difference to someone. Fish need water. What do people need that I can give?
Can I cook something for someone and say, “I was thinking about you today and thought maybe you would like this?” Can I help a needy family sign up for free deliveries from the local food bank? Or take someone grocery shopping once a week? Or share zucchini from my garden?
What friendly thing can I do for older neighbors who might be lonely? Call? Visit? Send a card? Take him a small potted plant or a few magazines? Invite her to lunch? Take them to a movie? Play checkers? Teach how to do something important on the computer? Walk a dog? Offer taxi service to an appointment?
Who in my family would like to see or hear from me today? What family member needs to be reminded about how special they are to me? What can I thank them for? What family memory could I share to cheer someone up? What old photograph would bring a smile?
In what small but thoughtful way can I show someone how much they are loved? Can I listen ( really listen)? Help? Praise? Thank? Hug?
What small thing can I do to help someone feel more safe? What assistance or product could I recommend? Could I install grab bars in a shower? Mend wobbly steps? Help them subscribe to a medical alert system? Change the batteries in their smoke alarms?
What can I do to help someone find shelter? What agencies are available that I could help them access? Could I volunteer or donate to Habitat for Humanity? Gather a crew to patch a roof? Repair a window?
How can I inspire someone to laugh today? Or dance or sing or exercise or play? A funny joke in an email? Practice Tai Chi together to Youtube lessons? Make a cake together? Share a crossword? A card game? A funny film?
What can I teach someone today? What could we learn together? Is there a book we could read together? A class we could take together? How about a lift to the library?
Food, friends, family, love, safety, shelter, play, learning - just a few basic human needs. Let’s remind ourselves that making a difference does not have to be a huge. Any little thoughtfulness or kindness or joy we can bring to another person can have a positive effect and it does make a difference
**If you found this to be a topic of interest — if you would like to know more simple ways to show kindness every day, let me put you into the able hands of Substack’s kindness guru, Heather Brebaugh. The woman is a fountain of practical and inspiring ideas. Click here: KINDNESS MAGNET.
Thanks, I just subscribed to Kindness Magnet.
Thank you, Sharron, both for your inspiring article and for your thoughtful sharing of Kindness Magnet. Your imaginative writing is a joy to read and getting to know you has been a special perk of being part of Substack.