Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?
Clarence, It’s a Wonderful Life
The end of another year is approaching. Another difficult, prickly year. A year filled with 365 days of occupying space, interacting and isolating, disagreeing and desperately trying to connect.
Slogging through the dailiness of life can make even the most positive, courageous souls feel discouraged. The getting up and doing it all over again. The never-ending bad news. The dust that falls immediately after being wiped away. It can make even the most optimistic souls feel that there is no point.
The feeling of futility, or pointlessness creeps up on us, using layers of discouragement as stepping stones to reach our hearts and then our minds. This world can be achingly beautiful, but it can also be oh so dark. Why do bad things happen? What difference does it make if I go out of my way to serve others, or practice generosity or even just be nice? So many ways to get burned, these days. So many “what if’s” that pop up with every swipe or scroll.
In the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, which plays frequently this time of year, George Baily not only wonders what’s the point of living, but goes as far believing the world would be a better place if he’d never been born. That’s when Clarence, the angel, steps in to show him all the ways his life has made a difference and impacted those around him.
“Each man’s life touches so many other lives,” observes Clarence. “When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”
It’s a powerful mind game to play with our own lives, to imagine who our mothers and fathers, siblings and spouses, would be without us, or even if they would be…
An equally powerful thought journey is to look back at moments in your life where you have impacted other people. The time you delivered food to a neighbor or gifts to the poor. The time you stayed late to help a struggling student understand her math assignment. The time you were there for a hurting friend, or helped your aging parents. All the nights you were there to comfort and care for your children. And then multiply those times exponentially because, for every time you can remember, there were 100 that happened without you even realizing you were making a difference.
I love the Starfish Poem by an unknown author (please correct me if I’m wrong), and have always used it to bring me purpose and motivation on my difficult teaching days.
Starfish Poem
Once upon a time there was a wise man
who used to go to the ocean to do his
writing. He had a habit of walking on the
beach before he began his work.
One day he was walking along the shore.
As he looked down the beach, he saw a
human figure moving like a dancer. He
smiled to himself to think of someone
who would dance to the day.
So he began to walk faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he saw that it was a
young man and the young man wasn’t
dancing, but instead he was reaching
down to the shore, picking up something
and very gently throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer he called out, “Good
morning! What are you doing?”
The young man paused, looked up and replied,
“Throwing starfish in the ocean.”
“I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?”
“The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don’t throw them in they’ll die.”
“But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can’t
possibly make a difference!”
The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it
into the ocean, past the breaking waves and said – “It made a difference for that one.”
I believe that’s the answer to “what’s the point?” Why we are here. Our purpose. Each life touches so many other lives, in so many different ways and intensities that it all manages to fall together into this intricate kaleidoscope we call life. We are here to love, to help, to listen, to touch, to share, to inspire and to walk each other home.
And if one of us wasn’t here… it would leave an awful hole.
So finish this year strong, my friends. Seize the daily opportunities to make life meaningful for yourself and others. Radiate love and light in the seemingly little moments that can blossom into big achievements in the right conditions. Save a starfish.
Because, you are one of the billions of small but essential parts that make it a wonderful life.
I throughly loved reading this. It’s really quite interesting that in my life I always have an elderly person I’m helping and become friends with. I have always involved my girls too. I was super sad when my Arnold up the road passed. I spent a lot of time with him. I said I just can’t keep helping the elderly, I get too connected and it’s so hard when they pass. Well, I stumbled on another named Frank. His wife passed of cancer. We have been friends for 4 years and he we talk at least every other day. I’m there once or twice a week. Anyway, I’m 💯 % invested in him. I really think I’m here to help others. I’m here to teach my girls to do the same. Me and my girls just bought some presents for a local family in need.
Well, I don’t know where I was going with this. 😆 I guess this world can be so dark sometimes but we have to try to keep seeing that light.
Again, great post and have a great day!!
Wow, I love that starfish story. Never heard it before. I also love It’s a Wonderful Life. I think I almost cry every time too. We forget how valuable life and kindness are. I hope you have a merry Christmas my friend! ❤️
Beautifully said Collette. I remember being told to try to leave each day at least slightly better than you found it. Just a friendly smile at a stranger can make a difference to someone. You certainly make a difference.
Merry Christmas
Gary ❤️