Knowing how to offer help when the scope of human, animal, structural, and plant devastation is as massive as what we are seeing with the Los Angeles fires can feel paralyzing. Our contributions can feel insignificant. They’re not. No act of genuine help is without value.
What do we do? We do as the boy did with the starfish.
We do as the hummingbird in the forest.
Yesterday, I shared the story of the boy and the starfish. If you missed it, here’s a brief retelling: A boy walked along a beach littered with thousands of stranded starfish, throwing them back into the sea one by one. A man questioned his efforts, asking, “What difference will it make? There are so many starfish.” The boy responded, “It made a difference to that one.”
Today I’m adding another story that supports the truth that no true help is insignificant. This one is about a hummingbird. My friend shared it with me and it comes from an African parable by Wangari Maathai. She is a Kenyan environmentalist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
A great forest is burning while all the animals stand around wondering what to do. The elephant, the hippo, the lions … all of the most powerful animals.
Meanwhile, a hummingbird buzzes by their heads carrying a single drop of water in her beak. She flies to the fire and releases it onto the blaze.
The giraffe laughs, and the rhino shakes his head.
“You’re too small! What are you doing, tiny one?” they all scoff.
The hummingbird replies, “I’m doing the best I can,” as she buzzes away to get another drop of water. And with that, they get to work.
The story about the boy and starfish, and the story about the hummingbird in the forest share the same call to action. And they echo the beloved Margaret Mead quote which has longevity because it contains truth:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
The way each of us can contribute is ours alone, shaped by our unique abilities and perspectives. And maybe we need to be reminded that we can make a difference. We can ease suffering. And our acts, tiny or mountainous, will ripple outward in ways we may never fully see.