The Pebble and the River Tom sat by the river, skipping stones. His dad watched from the bench. "Why do you always skip the small ones?" his dad asked. "They go farther," Tom said, flinging another pebble. His dad picked up a larger stone. "Try this." Tom hesitated, then threw it. It sank with a plop. He frowned. His dad smiled. "Not everything is meant to skip. Some things are meant to leave ripples." Tom stared at the water, now full of widening circles. He realized not all actions are about distance—sometimes, it’s about impact.