Sunsets, Moments and the Things That Matter

While the topic of sunsets is a popular one on my Beach Bar Bums blog, I rarely talk about then on here. Yesterday’s sunset, however, was magical in more ways than one. The clouds that were prevalent in the sky yesterday evening came together with the setting sun to create a masterpiece that I don’t recall ever being equaled, at least not in my hometown. The effect it had on the people observing it was noticeable, too. Drivers pulled off to the side of the road (or just stopped in the middle of it) or sought out the nearest parking spot for the best vantage point to preserve the moment in digital history. During the busy holiday season, it seemed like the whole community paused for a few minutes to appreciate the moment.

I went to one of my favorite lakefront spots. Luckily, I was already headed to Winona Lake for Hayes’ soccer practice. When I noticed the sky, I made a slight detour to the parking lot just north of the Boathouse restaurant on the lake’s northeast shore. We’ve been there many times in the past. After grabbing Blizzards from the Dairy Queen around the corner, it’s our go to spot as a family to scarf them down way too quickly as we admire the view of one of our community’s natural treasures.

The parking lot was already filling up as vehicles pulled in and people rolled down their windows or hopped out of their cars for a better point of view. I opted to stay in mine, knowing that if I got out I’d probably stick around for way too long and miss the boy’s soccer practice.

It would have been easy to get wrapped up in the moment and forget what you had set out that evening to accomplish. I think most people, however, realized what a once-in-a-lifetime sunset this was and paused a few moments during one of the busiest times of the year to take it all in. It was a nice reminder that especially during the busiest times of our lives, we should all strive to take a moment, relax and remind ourselves of the things that really matter. If we’re too busy to enjoy it all, what’s the point?