From TODAY, Voices
Wednesday October 29, 2008
By Dr James Dobson
What do you get for the child who has everything? That’s a question Mr Richard Crane faced every year on his son’s birthday. So one year, he just decided to ask him.
The Crane family lived in a castle high on a hill beside a stretch of beach along the Atlantic Ocean. Across the sea lay the small town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, a city of 7,000 people living in stark contrast to the kind of life the Cranes enjoyed.
When Richard asked his son, Cornelius, what he would like to have, the boy answered: “I’d like to invite all the children of Ipswich to a party on our beach.”
It was a big request, but an unselfish one, so Richard granted it. Over 1,000 children spent the day on the Cranes’ beach, playing games and filling up on sandwiches and ice cream.
The event became an annual tradition in Ipswich. Today, over 60 years later, the town comes together each year to celebrate Cornelius’ birthday on June 16. And it all began with a simple, selfless request from a young boy who wanted to share his good fortune with others.
You know, it’s not that difficult to make an impact on your world. All you really have to do is to put the needs of others ahead of your own. You may not have the resources the Crane family had, but you can still make a difference with a little time and a big heart.
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