Our Story
The Tide global movement is inspired by a story that many around the world have heard or read in some form, ‘The Starfish Story’:
While walking along a beach, an elderly man saw a young boy in the distance who was picking up starfish off the sand and gently tossing them back into the ocean.
As he neared the boy, the man smiled and said,
“Why are you throwing starfish back into the water?”
The boy replied,
“The sun is up, and the tide is going out; if I don’t throw them back in, they’ll die.”
The man commented,
“But, son, don’t you realize that many, many starfish have washed up along every mile of this beach? You can’t possibly make a difference!”
The boy listened politely. He then bent down, gently picked up another starfish, and tossed it past the breaking waves.
“Sir,” he replied, “I made a difference to that one.”
Acts, no matter how small, CAN make a difference.
The Tide community believes that even one small act of kindness can make a meaningful difference in the world! However, our story goes even deeper…
Many do not know that ‘The Starfish Story’ as they remember it can be traced back to an essay called ‘The Star Thrower,’ written in 1969 by Loren Eiseley, as part of his collection The Unexpected Universe.
Eiseley begins the essay as a cynic, convinced that suffering is too enormous for one person to meaningfully oppose. Many of us can relate. Then a man he calls the Star Thrower answers that, not with an argument, but by returning starfish to the sea.
“Call me another thrower,”
says Eiseley — and starts throwing them back himself. The Star Thrower is no longer alone.
This is the very heart of The Tide movement.
The adaptation most of us know leaves us with a simple but powerful message:
One act of kindness can make a difference in one life.
But the original leads us to something more:
One person chooses to perform a small act of kindness. Another person sees it and joins them. Then another follows. What begins as one seemingly insignificant act can grow into something far greater than any one individual could accomplish alone.
THAT IS THE TIDE.
We may never solve every problem or help every person who needs it. But we can help the one in front of us. And when enough people make that same choice — when one act inspires another, and another — something transformational begins to happen…
Individual acts of kindness become collective impact.
Seemingly small acts become waves.
Together, The Tide rises – and lifts humanity with it.
If Our Story resonates with you, we invite you to pick up a starfish, make a difference, and join The Tide!
