Made a Difference to That One
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About the Image
Featured in this post is Serena’s makeshift swimwear, perfect for an unexpected morning of starfish rescue! The Lani Coast Set is a new release from Sorumin for the current round of Kustom9. The set comes in six color packs, with palettes ranging from darks and neutrals to soft pastels. Each pack includes one graphic print, four shirt colors, eight panty colors, and ten color options for the adorable flower clip at the shirt hem. The T-shirt and bikini panty are worn as one piece, but the panty can be toggled off, making the shirt easy to pair with your favorite skirts, shorts, pants, or other bottoms. Of course, the fatpack includes even more mixing-and-matching possibilities. Stop by Kustom9 to pick up a demo and find your favorite combination.
Helping to create Serena’s dreamy tropical beach scene are the beautiful Black Palm trees by The Little Branch. These animated trees come in two versions, feature hybrid PBR-BP textures, and are wonderfully land-impact friendly at just 3–4 LI each. The pack even includes coordinating grass patches to help complete your landscaping. You can find these lovely palms at the current round of Collabor88. They’re perfect for creating your own little slice of summer paradise.
As a little side note: The avatars you see on this blog are almost always wearing a hairbase by Angel Eyes. I’ve been using their hairbases for quite some time, and I absolutely love how they add that extra finishing touch, making an already beautiful hairstyle look even better. Angel Eyes is currently holding a 25% off summer sale, so this is a great time to stock up on some new favorites. No specific end date was included in the sale announcement—it simply says “limited time”—so if you’ve been wanting to try them, don’t wait too long!
Complete credits are below the story. Store and event SLurls are available on the Store & Event Links page.
The Story
Serena had barely finished her first cup of coffee when Fiona began pacing impatiently between the back door and Serena’s chair.
“I know, I know,” Serena said, setting down her mug. “Apparently the beach cannot possibly survive another five minutes without you.”
Fiona gave her the look that clearly said Serena was finally beginning to understand.
The morning was already warm, though the sun was still low enough to cast a soft golden glow across the sand. Serena slipped a T-shirt over her swimsuit and followed Fiona down to the beach in back of the house.
Their masterpiece was still there.
Well… mostly.
The giant sand octopus Serena and Gavin had built the afternoon before had survived the night, although one tentacle had collapsed and its head was beginning to look slightly lopsided.
Serena smiled.
They had spent far too long building it, largely because Gavin insisted that an octopus required eight anatomically identifiable arms, while Serena maintained that no reasonable person expected scientific accuracy from beach sculpture.
Eventually, Gavin had won. Mostly because Serena had gotten tired of arguing and started throwing wet sand at him.
She was still smiling at the memory when something bright orange near the water caught her eye.
A starfish.
Then another.
And another.
Serena stopped.
Scattered along the stretch of damp sand left behind by the retreating tide were several starfish, apparently washed ashore sometime during the night.
“Oh no.”
Fiona trotted over to investigate one.
“Nope.” Serena pointed at her. “We are not licking the wildlife.” Fiona looked offended by the accusation, even though she had absolutely been considering it.
Serena crouched beside the nearest starfish.
Suddenly she remembered a story she had heard years ago—the one about a boy walking along a beach after a storm, tossing stranded starfish back into the ocean one at a time. There were hundreds of them, maybe thousands.
Someone had asked why he bothered. There were too many to save. What possible difference could one person make?
The answer had always stayed with her. It made a difference to that one.
Serena looked down the beach. There certainly weren’t thousands here. Maybe a dozen.
That, she decided, was manageable.
“Well, Fiona,” she said, carefully picking up the first starfish, “I guess we have a job.”
She walked to the edge of the water and gently placed it into the shallow surf.
One.
Then she went back for another.
Fiona followed enthusiastically, although her contribution consisted mainly of supervising, sniffing each starfish Serena picked up, and occasionally racing into the water for no apparent reason before racing right back out again.
Two.
Three.
Four.
By the fifth trip, Serena’s knees were sandy, the hem of her shirt was damp, and Fiona had somehow acquired a coating of wet sand from nose to tail.
Serena glanced at her. “You realize Gavin is going to blame me when you bring half the beach into the house.”
Fiona sneezed.
“I’ll tell him you did this entirely on your own.”
Another starfish went back into the sea.
As Serena worked her way along the beach, she began thinking about the story again.
Maybe that was why people remembered it. Not because it was really about starfish. It was about all the moments when a problem seemed too large, the need too great, or the effort too small to matter.
You can’t fix everything.
You can’t help everyone.
You can’t change the whole world before breakfast.
But sometimes you can change one tiny corner of it.
Serena picked up the last starfish. She carried it toward the water, with Fiona padding beside her.
A small wave washed over Serena’s feet as she lowered the starfish into the sea. For a moment it rested beneath the clear water, and then the next wave carried it farther from shore.
Serena stood and watched until she couldn’t see it anymore.
“There,” she said softly.
Fiona looked up at her.
Serena smiled.
“Made a difference to that one.”
Behind them, the slightly crooked sand octopus kept watch over the beach, evidence of yesterday’s laughter with Gavin.
Ahead of them, the ocean glittered in the morning sun.
And beside her stood one very sandy little dog who was clearly ready for breakfast.
Serena looked down at Fiona. “Come on, beach patrol. Let’s go.”
Fiona took off toward the house. Serena followed, then stopped and looked back once more at the empty stretch of sand where the starfish had been.
It wasn’t much, in the grand scheme of things.
But sometimes, Serena thought, one was enough.
CREDITS
Serena
TRUTH Collective Clarity
Angel Eyes Messy 19 Hairbase
Glam Affair Lybra
Sorumin Lani Coast Set (NEW @ Kustom9)
Onyx Lunar Bloom Tattoo (group gift)
Ysoral Bridgette Engagement Ring
Izzie’s Face & Body Blush
Izzie’s Sandy Feet, Legs, & Hands
Pose
Secret Poses Summer (includes starfish)
SCENE
The Little Branch Black Palms (NEW @ Collabor88)
Rezz Room West Highland Dog
Studio Skye Sandy Beach
Vespertine Sea Sand Sculpties – Octopus
Botanical King Fern
LOVE Tropical Plants Set
For items worn regularly, please see About the Characters.
For store SLurls, please visit the Store & Event Links page.
The quote, “Where words fail, music speaks,” is attributed to Hans Christian Andersen.
