Monday Motivation….. May 05, 2025 (745)

Monday Motivation….. May 05, 2025 (745)
Every Friday evening, as the sun dipped low like a giant orange into the ocean, Old Ed would stroll to his favorite pier, clutching a bucket of shrimp in his bony hand. The beach was quiet, save for a few joggers, and the golden glow of the setting sun seemed to cast the world in bronze.
Ed would shuffle to the pier’s end, standing there with his thoughts and his shrimp. But he wasn’t alone for long. Soon, white dots appeared in the sky—seagulls, screeching and flapping, flocking to him in droves. With a gentle smile, Ed would toss shrimp to the hungry birds, murmuring softly, “Thank you. Thank you.”
When the bucket was empty, Ed wouldn’t leave right away. He’d stand still, lost in thought, as if transported to another time. When he finally turned to go, some seagulls would follow him down the pier, hopping alongside until he reached the stairs. Then, they’d take to the sky, and Ed would quietly walk home.
To an onlooker, Ed might seem eccentric—an old man with a strange ritual. But Ed’s actions were deeply rooted in gratitude and survival.
His full name was Eddie Rickenbacker, a decorated World War I hero and aviation legend. During World War II, on a mission across the Pacific, Eddie and his seven-member crew were forced to ditch their plane at sea. They climbed into a life raft, adrift on rough waters for days.
They battled the sun, sharks, and despair. By the eighth day, their rations were gone. Starving and hopeless, the men prayed for a miracle. And then it came—a seagull landed on Eddie’s cap. He sat perfectly still, then swiftly grabbed it. That bird became their lifeline. They ate it, used its intestines as bait, and caught fish, beginning a cycle that kept them alive until rescue finally came—24 days later.
Eddie never forgot that seagull’s sacrifice. For the rest of his life, he returned to the pier every Friday evening, shrimp in hand, to feed the birds and say, “Thank you.”

Moral:
Eddie Rickenbacker’s story reminds us of life’s profound lessons: gratitude, resilience, and paying it forward. Sometimes, the smallest acts—a bird, a prayer, or a bucket of shrimp—carry the deepest meaning!
Have a great week ahead…!