“Do you realize what we just discovered?
This is a revelation.
Rich, this is amazing.”
He looks at me and smiles. “I know.”
Just a few minutes earlier, a wavy waft of smoke slowly exits my lips. Greens and purples fulfill their purpose then dissolve into the humid air surrounding us.
The vast sea, its lapping waves, and miles of shoreline to one side… a small house surrounded by trees, grass, and a blazing campfire to the other.
It’s a barren beach paradise fit for kings and castaways alike on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, and our glasses clink as we toast to this moment.
All there is.
And what a moment this is.
Places like this still exist.
Moments do too.
The sun dipped below the horizon.
Clouds became a canvas of oranges and pinks.
Stars started to shine.
Monkeys howled in their tree homes just a stone’s throw away.
Butterflies fluttered by.
Stray dogs stopped for scraps.
And even a herd of cows sauntered by without a care.
Then Rich, eyes wide and peaceful, shared something I’ll never forget.
“I know I can’t relive it,” he said, “but I always come back to one memory.
One moment.
Dancing in the mist.
It was nighttime.
A street fair near our home.
My wife.
Our two girls.
The only ones dancing.
As others looked on at a family lost in a moment.
Time didn’t exist.
We were all completely present.
Completely joyful.
After the song ended, the wonderful singer thanked our family and said that she felt our energy and love.
Looking around, I saw eyes in the crowd fixed on us. They felt it too.”
I smile and look at Rich.
“Do you realize what we just discovered?
This is a revelation.
Rich, this is amazing.”
He looks at me and smiles.
“I know.”
I add, “The single most beautiful moment of your life…
was effortless.
And you spread joy—so much joy—to those around you… effortlessly.
He looks at me and smiles, even wider now.
“I know.”
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Until next time, Freethinker… stay present, be pleasant, and have an amazing day 🙏
Mike Messeroff
Creator of The Return and Self-Hospitality™
Author of Dogs Get It: Advice I learned from my best friend