a star fell from the sky

For the first time in six years of coming to the beach, I found a starfish ~ actually many starfish ~ perfectly shaped.  I assume it's because we were walking the beach just after the sunrise before the birds pecked away at the shore looking for their breakfast....but it got me thinking.....is there a story behind the starfish? Always in search of meaning and inspiration, I came across The Starfish Story.

The Starfish Story

Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf's edge and the beach. Back and forth this person went. As the man approached he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide.

The man was struck by the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached, the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.

As he came up to the young man he said, "You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can't possibly make a difference." The young man looked at him. He then stooped down and picked up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said, "It made a difference to that one!"

Make a difference.

No matter how small a good deed may seem...

I also found that In Christian symbolism the Starfish represents the Virgin Mary (Stella Maris which means Star of the Sea) who lovingly creates safe travel over troubled waters and is also seen as an emblem of salvation during trying times. The Starfish represents infinite divine love. In addition to love, the Starfish also holds characteristics such as guidance, vigilance, inspiration, brilliance and intuition.

Love ~ Guidance ~ Inspiration

Digging a bit deeper into starfish, I found a few fun facts:

***The Starfish is not a fish. It’s an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars.

***Starfish are famous for their ability to regenerate limbs, and in some cases, entire bodies. 

***Starfish have no brains and no blood. Their nervous system is spread through their arms and their “blood” is actually filtered sea water.

All in all, I have certainly learned a lot about my new friend.

To me the Starfish is a reminder

to make a difference and spread the love.