NaptownTails

Two things I’ve always loved: all things coastal and dogs. Every summer, my family and I would spend a week at the beach building sand castles, hopping in the waves, and soaking up the sun. I loved everything about the coast: seagulls flying overhead, the soft sand cradling my feet, and the ebb and flow of the ocean washing peacefulness over me. In short, it was my happy place. Likewise, dogs have always brought me so much joy. As a child I was captivated by them. I collected books about different breeds, created a savings jar to rescue one, and dreamt of the day to have my own. It wasn’t until I was an adult that my dream came true and got a golden retriever; his name was Chester. Years later, our dreams grew further and my husband and I got Mulligan. Through them, I have been taught what it means to love unconditionally, play tenaciously, wag unreservedly and live in the moment perpetually. I’ve realized that many of life’s lessons come from these two sources. In many ways both the love of the coast and dogs go hand in hand. Many nautical or seafaring expressions have been adopted into our everyday dialogue. These same words or expressions capture the essence of dogs and how they speak to the very depths of our hearts. Let me explain. By and large, dogs end up teaching us more than we teach them. Whether we’re in the doldrums, we’re batten down the hatches, or we’ve had the wind taken out of our sails, our dogs are with us through thick and thin. They’re in it for the long haul. Dogs are extremely flexible and help us to adapt to changing tides. They are beachcombers and thereby help us to “sea” life’s beauty and come out of our shell. Like the ocean, dogs show us to let our worries drift away and take time to coast. They are faithful friends that harbor strength and know how to persevere. Dogs have built my own confidence and have helped me to be “shore” of myself and know that the world is my oyster. Everyday, they desire to “seas the day” and set sail.