enthusiast to the extreme! Our recent sand dollar
experience proves it.
Do you remember that famous story about a girl that
throws a starfish back into the sea one at a time along the
shoreline? When the girl was told by an onlooker that what
she was doing wouldn't matter much, she replied "it matters
to that one" and threw another starfish back into the sea.
Well, I have a sand dollar story to share. The other day we
happened upon a little island while boating and we couldn't
believe how many live sand dollars were in the water and on
the sand, green, fuzzy and thriving. They weren't white and
dry like you buy them in a store. My kids were really
interested in them and so were we adults, actually.
Other kids were getting them out of the water and hauling
them home, showing them off to us, and even offering them
to us. My family enjoyed holding them and looking at them,
but then we'd each throw the sand dollars back into the water...
to keep on living... and we left with only memories
as souvenirs.
Now I wasn't always like this. In fact, when I was a teen,
my folks took me to the Bahamas and we had some natives
dive down and get us a couple of starfish that we brought
back as souvenirs. Back then it seemed like the most
normal thing to want to do. I still remember the shock on
my kids' faces when they first would hear about my youthful
vacation and the starfish experience, though. They invariably
asked why would I do that because didn't it kill the starfish?
Boy that made me feel lousy.
Turns out they had a very good point. I've learned from
life, from my kids, I don't know from where else exactly
but now I feel the same way as the kids do. I wonder, why
DID I want to do that?
Oh well, the past is done. But now, we CAN save the sand
dollars (and the starfish) one at a time at least.
I guess the other day we all just wanted to save this
little bit of marine life. We cared about the little guys
in nature. I thought, "now what would happen if ALL the
people who came here took the sand dollars out to keep as
souvenirs? Then we wouldn't have had the special magic
we found for a little while together on that little strip of
sand and sea. And my teenager wouldn't have said "That
was cool, let's go back there. I liked all the sand dollars
that live there". This straight from the mouth of a known
computer enthusiast who spends as much time as
possible accompanied by his computer!
With each passing year I can better see the importance of
protecting and trying to save the environment and wildlife.
Have I been better educated? Am I just more mature? Maybe.
But I think it's more because I can see the picture better
through the eyes of my children who seem to see the world
through a special focus and help me to see some facets
that I might otherwise miss.
So let's not give up caring for the environment just
because we can't save it all or make a big enough impact.
Let's just each do our part, even if it's just a little.
Then we'll be able to help keep nature's magic around
for ourselves and for other generations to learn from and
enjoy. And we'll keep getting... the gifts of a sand dollar.