Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

I made someone happy today. I went to the beach and there was this little boy there whose left leg was missing. I don't know if he was born with it or whatever. I didn't ask. Wasn't my business.

He was about 7, maybe 8 years old. His mom and dad were over by the water with the little girl, prolly his sister or something.

I asked him what his name was, he said Patrick. He looked absolutely miserable. So I sat down next to him on the blanket in the sand and I talked to him for a while. After a bit I left and went out into the ocean. I dove in the spots where the waves didn't break and dug up a few sand dollars, still alive and about the size of silver dollars, a starfish, and a handful of little hermit crabs. I took them back to him, and helped him dig a hole i nthe sand. We lined the hole with plastic from a sub sandwich I'd had earlier and then we filled the hole with water. I put the little creatures in, and he started smiling almost immediately. I think he had a fun day today. He petted the sand dollars and took pictures of the crabs. He was afraid to touchthe starfish though. But after a while I held it in my hand and he petted it. Then recoiled like it was going to bite him.

So, after a while his parents came bac and told him that it was time to go. He looked at the animals and asked if he could keep them. I told him that they were living things, and that they wanted to go back to their home too, and that they wouldn't live without the beach. So, after a bit of thinking, he picked the plastic up and held it at the top like a bag with all the creatures inside. He grabbed a crutch looking thing with a wide foot and he made it over to the water. He took out the animals one-by one, throwing them back into the water. Except for the starfish. He asked for help with that one. So I took it out of the bag, and put it back in the water. When he left the beach, there was a huge smile on his face.

I hope that he has fun for the rest of his vacation, and all of his summers to come.