Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Tuesday was the first day that we split up into two groups and went to different places.  Half of the group went to Habitat for Humanity again, and had the privilege to work with the crew and staff at the same house we were previously at.  The second group went to the St. Luke's N.E.W. Life Center and helped out with food distribution, babysitting children, and meeting amazing staff members and customers there. In the second half of the day, we went to Northridge Academy again and worked in the classrooms and with after school tutoring.  

There's a story that my mom sent me that I'd like to share, so here it is:

"A young man is walking long the ocean and sees a beach on which thousands and thousands of starfish have washed ashore.  Further along he sees an old man, walking slowly and stooping often, picking up one starfish after another and tossing each one gently into the ocean. 

'Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?' he asks.

'Because the sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don't throw them further in they will die.'

'But old man, don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along                      it! You  can't possibly save them all, you can't even save one-tenth of them.  In fact, even                      if you work all day, your efforts won't make any difference at all.'

 The man listened calmly and then bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the sea. 'It made a difference to that one.'"

We came to Flint not to change the lives of many, but to try to bring hope to one.  In the class I was working in at Northridge, I chose a seat in the back of the classroom, with a boy who had to sit by himself.  When we were first talking, the wall he put up in defense to my questions seemed unbreakable.  Throughout the day, we slowly bonded over Ninja Turtles, having a sister, and dancing to Uptown Funk.  When we had to leave that day, he and I were in the middle of drawing "a picture that represents spring."  Looking down at my 1st grade level drawing of a pink flower and a sun, I quickly scribbled "To: Jayden, From: Caroline."  The biggest smile came across his face, and he yelled to his friends, "LOOK WHAT I GOT!"  The happiness that my one, very terrible, drawing brought to this kid made me realize that I had made a positive impact in his life- even if just for an afternoon.  Making a difference to one can truly be enough.

-CK

No comments:

Post a Comment