[barbara]

Thank you for your response, Bluestreak.
There is a story told to those who go into the social work field that is told to rookies.
It is the starfish story... not sure if you have heard of it.
Two friends were walking down the beach after a horrible storm happened the night before. There were hundreds of starfish washed up on the beach where they would die if they did not get back in the water.
One friend reached down, picked up a starfish, and started to throw it back into the ocean. The other friend stopped him and said, do not be silly... there are hundreds of starfish, you cannot possibly make a difference.
The first friend threw that starfish as far as he could back into the ocean and replied, i made a difference for that starfish.
And, Bluestreak, that is how I deal with the frustration of the big, complex problems that I cannot change. I try to make the difference when and where I can even if I cannot save all the starfish on the beach.