It’s been a half hour or so since the sun has risen. The sun continues to make its slow ascent, fully visible now above the horizon, washing the sky and shore in a warm bath of color. I am faintly attuned to the scent of salt water, the sound of seagulls and the feeling of sand between my toes, but all of these things take a back seat in my realm of awareness as I watch my nine-year old dog experiencing the beach for the first time in her life.

I see surprise and hesitation on her face as she notices the sand, and the turning of gears as she tries to make sense of it. This is quickly forgotten when a roaring wave comes for her. With a quick about-face, a decision is made that the ocean is a great big nope in her book. I can’t even imagine what she must be smelling. Beneath a blanket of salt air, perhaps everything that lives and dies where waves and sand meet.

Suddenly, something catches her eye and every ounce of her attention. A tiny dart of movement that disappears just as quickly as it came. The sand is teasing her. She sits tall, eyes darting about with vigilance in an effort to solve this mystery of movement. It happens again, almost as if the sand itself is a living, breathing thing.

A few more movements, and we both realize the sand has legs and eyes. Ghost crabs, mostly babies, venturing out to scavenge the shoreline for their breakfast. Suddenly she’s off to the races, chasing strange little ten-legged creatures from one sandy hole to another. It’s here! No, it’s there! Like whack-a-mole on the beach, she alternates between sitting patiently ready to strike, and sprinting after any movement that catches her eye.

And just like that, my mellow girl who doesn’t chase sticks or care one bit about toys has discovered a game and she is playing wholeheartedly. And I am delighted to watch her learn. Whole body alert, she scans the ground intently for any sign of life, then pounces as a crab dives sideways into a hole in the sand. She is teaching herself how to play this game, and loving every minute of it.

Right here in the sand and salty air, I am witnessing definitive proof that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, and it is never too late to discover new joys in life.

We can learn so much from our furry friends.

It is often in simple moments where real joy is found. Joy is a surprise gift—one that appears when we are not trying to force an experience or control the outcome—instead, allowing the moment to unfold on its own. Suddenly, there it is: the ability to let go of conflict and suffering long enough to dive wholeheartedly into what is right in front of us with great pleasure and happiness. As Lao Tzu said, when you realize that nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

If I had stayed in bed, I would have missed what ended up being the highlight of the entire trip. Instead, I was incredibly lucky to have a shared experience of pure, unadulterated joy with my dog as she chased ghosts on the beach at sunrise.

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Chasing Ghosts and Finding Joy

We can learn so much from our furry friends.