What a Late Night Walk on the Beach Made Me Realize About Myself

The other night, after what felt like a long, full day at the beach—sand everywhere, sunscreen reapplied too many times to count, kids running wild—I was ready to call it. I had showered, gotten cozy, and mentally checked out for the evening when the suggestion came: Let’s go for a walk on the beach…at night.

My first thought was absolutely not. I was tired, the kids were winding down, and the idea of getting sandy all over again sounded like the exact opposite of relaxing. But I caught the look in my mom’s eyes and saw how excited the kids were, and the fact that both PJ and my mom were on board made me think I should probably just say yes and go with it. Something in me shifted. I sighed, grabbed my sandals, and followed them out the door.

And I’m so happy I did.

The beach looked like a completely different world at night. The normally blistering hot sand was cool and refreshing beneath our feet. The moon was full, casting this soft silver glow across the waves and the sand, making everything feel a little bit quieter, a little bit slower, and it kind of looked like we were on another planet. The stars were scattered across the sky, and all you could hear was the rhythm of the ocean and the happy little conversations happening around me. My mom held the kids’ hands, leading the way. PJ pointed out shells and little sea critters in the tide pools. Allan and Riah darted ahead with a flashlight, and Anna kept oooh-ing and ahhhh-ing at everything she saw.

Also, don’t let the lightness of these photos fool you; it was pitch dark outside, and the stars were popping. It was stunning. The camera on the iPhone 16 Pro is phenomenal, and I highly recommend taking a photo of the night sky if you have this phone.

As we were walking back towards the entrance of the beach, a big group of people passed us, all singing and laughing together. My mom thought that was so cool for some reason, and said we should take their picture. Don’t ask me why, lol. I told her they were most likely a big church group and I didn’t want to mess with them. She swore they weren’t, and approached them out of nowhere and asked who they were. Sure enough, they were an out of town church group visiting the beach for a retreat. She busted out laughing, asking how I knew. I told her I could just tell. She laughed again and grabbed my arm as we all made our way home.

It’s funny, the moments you don’t plan for are sometimes the ones that stick with you the most. I would have missed this if I’d stayed inside. I would have missed watching my kids race ahead of their grandma to the shoreline, seeing their faces light up in the moonlight, hearing their laughter carry down the beach, PJ finding a beautifully-made sandcastle.

I’ve realized I say no too quickly sometimes. I get tired, I get in my head, I think about the mess or the inconvenience, and I almost miss out on these beautiful, fleeting memories. Now I have these photos, and more importantly, I have this night tucked away in my heart. A night where I felt present, where I watched my family just be. With only the moon lighting the way.

Next time I think no, I’m going to remember this walk. And maybe I’ll say yes a little more often.

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