Grateful for the Beach

I am grateful for the beach, to feel the sand underneath my toes, to breathe in the salty breeze, to bask in the sunshine, to hear the waves break on the shore, and to see the great big blues of the ocean and sky. I feast on the beauty, the 360-degree panoramic of an earthly art. And I am not the only one charmed. I hear the children giggle and I can feel the pride of the parents, happy to know that today the family plays, that today they have afforded pleasure. I see friends and couples huddled together in blissful relaxation near the shore, chatting and feeling the sun on their skins, simply living. There is joy here and even more of it when I am with my friends, living just as splendidly. The sun shines bright, unobstructed by clouds that burned off long ago. The sun’s rays are free and warm the sand and our skins. The rays sparkle the rippling sea from the shore to the horizon. Like the rays, my friends and I beam too. When I catch their glance, we gaze and glow like we haven’t seen each other as perfect before. There is something special about the beach and I don’t know how best to express it. And so, I pick up sand, let it seep between my fingers, watch it return to the hand-sized dune, and I smile.

I am grateful for the beach.