The Story of the Starfish

In his book, The Star Thrower, author Loren E. Eisley talks of the early morning when he finds himself with "writers block", he decided to take a walk along a sandy beach where hundreds of starfish had been washed up on the shore overnight.

He noticed a boy picking up the starfish one by one and throwing each back into the ocean.

Observing the boy for a few minutes Eisley asked him "what are you doing?" The boy replied that he was returning the starfish to the sea, otherwise they would die when the burning rays of the sun hit them. He explained that it was worth the effort if only to "help this one."

Eisley left the boy and went home to continue writing, only to find that he could not type a single word. He returned to the beach and spent the rest of the morning helping the boy throw starfish back into the sea.

It is from that story that the Asian Pacific American Womens's Leadership Institute (APAWLI) draws its inspiration.

For while, it may not be possible to "save the entire world", one can do her part to take care of her corner of it.