¤ The Meaning of Life ¤

"Footprints"
Author Unknown

In deepest sleep one night I dreamed
That on the beach I walked.
God was by my side each step
And quietly we talked.

Then on the sky my life was flashed,
The visions all serene.
Two sets of footprints in the sand
Were there in every scene.

But then I noticed in some scenes
Of suffering, pain, and strife,
Just a single set of footprints
At the worst times of my life.

"God... You said You'd stay by me
In good times and in bad.
Why, then, did You leave me
Each time my life was sad?"

"My precious child," God answered,
"When your life had pain, I knew.
The single set of footprints
Were the times I carried you."

"Starfish"
Author Unknown

A man was walking along a beach one day after a high tide had washed hundreds of starfish up on the shore.  Beached, they were slowly dying, but the man walked calmly along, picking up starfish and throwing them back.  Someone else saw him doing this and said to him, "Why are you wasting your time here?  Look at this beach; there are hundreds of starfish.  You can't possibly save them all, you can't even come close.  You can't possibly make a difference."

Even if you can't change the world and touch all six billion lives inhabiting it, you can make a difference to one person.  If you have made one life a little bit brighter, then your life is worthwhile, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

"It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness."