It was a wonderfully quiet morning and I found myself walking more slowly than usual, my eyes taking in the beauty of sea and dunes. As I neared Asilomar beach, I saw what I thought were surfers diving under the waves, but they didn’t surface immediately on the other side, which was odd. Turns out they were dolphins, maybe 4 of them, hanging out in the breakers.
I just stood and watched for a long while. I have never seen them just hang out in one place; usually they are moving up or down the coast. A couple of the surfers paddled over near them and they just kept doing their thing. Dorsal fins and tails in turn.
I was grateful to realize there was nothing pulling me away. I could just stand and stare in awe and wonder. It was nothing particularly miraculous, but it felt like a privilege to watch these wonderful creatures, so untroubled by what is going on on land.
Nothing is more important to the way we act in the world than realizing that we are not the center of the universe. Take time today to notice how the world keeps on - the sun rises and sets, bugs buzz around, spiders spin webs, birds take flight. It is our privilege to watch, and wonder how we fit in to this marvelous creation.