Sunsets and Why I Love Them
In case you haven’t noticed yet, I absolutely love sunsets. I think they are one of the most beautiful things nature has to offer us. I love them so much, I designed my entire brand around them. However, I don’t just love them because of how beautiful they are; they actually symbolize much more than that to me. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I figured this was the perfect time to talk about something I will forever be thankful for – the day sunsets changed the way I view my time on this earth.
My then-boyfriend, now-fiancé “Bryan” was going to college in New Hampshire and I came to visit him for a few days. With his hockey season in full swing, we knew that days off were a precious commodity that couldn’t be wasted. So, when he found out he had a Saturday free of team activities, we packed up his jeep and drove to a nearby beach called Hampton Beach. We spent the day swimming, goofing off and tracking sand in and out of restaurants before we were officially worn out by the sun.
We lugged ourselves back to his jeep but before heading back, Bryan suggested we watch the sunset. Not ready to head back to reality anyway, I quickly agreed and we drove to an overlook to watch the sky. As I sat there, I realized that I had never in my life taken the time to watch the sunset. Here I was, 25 years old, a self-proclaimed nature-lover who camps at least twice a year, runs outside nearly every day and yet I had never taken the time to watch the sunset. I had been given 9,125 chances to watch one of the most beautiful daily occurrences this world has to offer and I hadn’t taken a single one of them.
As I stared at the sky, I marveled over the changing colors and the shifting clouds; I watched the birds fly free above me and for a moment, I was reminded of how small I am in such a big world. But of all the brilliant colors and calming beauty, what struck me the most was how fast the sun set. Once the sun touched the horizon, it seemed like only a matter of seconds before it disappeared entirely. And just like that, it was over and another day had passed.
I know my days are numbered – everyone’s are. As I sat there, I began to think about how quickly I run through each day – I treat my time like I have an endless supply. I’m someone who constantly looks ahead and plans for the future. I’m goal oriented and everything I do is geared towards accomplishing those goals. And once I achieve a goal? I’ve already moved on to planning for my next one. But too often, I forget to enjoy the moment and in doing so, I barely even recognize that time is ticking away so much faster than I want to admit. And not just my own time, but the time I get to spend with my loved ones or the set time I’m given for a particular season in my life. Completely overwhelmed, my eyes filled up with tears and I vowed to never take another day for granted again.
I now try to watch the sunset as often as I can. It’s a great time to remind myself of how quickly time is ticking away. And when I think about the whirlwind we all live in, all I want to do is hug my loved ones and hold on to everything the Lord has blessed me with today. With Thanksgiving just days away, I encourage you to take the time to enjoy the sunset - it may show you that you have so much more to be thankful for than you ever thought possible.
With love,
- Heather
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!
Heather Brockell is a Web Designer and Copywriter based out of North Dakota, USA. When she isn’t designing websites or writing, she performs as a professional figure skater and singer in ice shows all around the country.
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