My neighbors Parker and Patty are always telling me how proud they are to be a part of Port O’Connor, Texas. They say it is a great community and so friendly. Recently their grandlittles were visiting during the unusual starfish grounding at Kingfisher Beach. The littles enjoyed the new beach all summer and were excited to have beach time again. When they got to the beach and saw all the starfish on the sand they were amazed. The 7 and 9-year-old marveled and carefully picked 2 each to keep. The five-year-old was a little reluctant, but eventually touched one and that was all it took to get him interested in the starfish phenomenon. The 3-year-old never did get past her horror and sadness that the ‘farstish’ got lost. She picked up dozens of them and carefully set them back in the water telling them sternly to ‘go home’ just as she tells her errant pup who tries to follow her out of the yard. Small starfish were placed next to large ones that she thought might be their mommas. She sang ‘farstish’ songs, petted them, put them back in the surf and tried her very best to help them get ‘found.’ The littlest grand was laughed at by her sibling and cousins and cried a little. Her Daddy attempted to reason with her that the starfish were not lost, but she told him ‘farstish’ live in water and had to be lost there on the beach. Grandy tried to comfort her by telling her there were lots of starfish in the sea, but she remained unconvinced and even told him he had taught her that fish died out of the water when he took her fishing. The little one ran miles on the short stretch of beach and put dozens of starfish back in the water. She was too young to realize many were already dead or that most washed right back up when she turned to save the next two. Her small hands were gentle and her little face intense as she tried to rescue the lost ‘farstish.’ Despite her brother’s best efforts, she never did learn to say starfish correctly. Come bedtime she even prayed for the lost ‘farstish’ to get home. And with the unwavering faith of the very young, when she visited the beach several days later, she was confident that her rescued ‘farstish’ had made it home because so few were left on the beach compared to her rescue day. She told her Momma that that’s what friends do when their friends get lost. They help them find their way back home. Wow! What a lesson. I hope to be a friend like that. And a little child shall lead them