For the past few months I have found myself commenting on, snapping pictures of, and in general being pretty obsessed with sunsets. There’s something about their breathtaking beauty and how each one is so different that draws me back, searching for the next.

While chasing a particularly beautiful sunset this week, a reddish magenta sun, encased with oranges, yellows, and soft pinks I had an epiphany. In that moment, I had hurried us away from a meal around the table to the top of a crow’s nest, where we had witnessed many breathtaking sunsets in years past. I just wanted to be present, and grab a few photos while all five of us were in one place. However, just as we shifted some chairs to create the perfect space for our family to fit, Chris was stung by a wasp. Within seconds I realized that there were angry wasps flying around the crow’s nest and our “perfect” spot to catch a glimpse and enjoy this moment was fading as fast as Chris’ leg was swelling. We retreated to the deck below as I looked back over my shoulder taking in the final sliver of the red sun making its way out of sight. I had been hopeful and somewhat insistent about getting a family photo, but thanks to the wasp’s angry wrath, we settled for a quick shot on the stairs. It hit me hard in that moment, I am chasing more than sunsets with my family right now. I am rushing to collect as many fleeting moments as possible before the sun sets on this chapter.

My desire when we look out on the sunset together is to be inspired by the ever changing nature and beauty of what exists night after night. I love that our family might be in awe and stirred if only for a few seconds. Just as I feel the precious moments slipping through my fingers like sand in an hourglass, the sunsets remind me of the same—the time we have together as a family of five is slowly fading. And so I have been subconsciously and symbolically chasing them. Looking for the beauty night after night, even if the view is obstructed or the wasps are protecting the precious places we can find them.

There is something about a sunset that reminds me of the ocean waves. It is forever constant…the rhythm, the pattern, predictable. The sun will rise and the sun will set. The waves will crash upon the sand and return to the ocean. And yet, depending on the weather, the time of day, no wave pattern ever quite seems identical. Each night brings a new backdrop—shifting colors, changing clouds. Have I ever seen the same sunset? How many times have I been in the presence of a majestic sunset and completely missed its grandeur because I was distracted by mundane tasks or the duty of my daily life? If I am honest, most days. But not now. I am intentionally seeking out spaces that offer me a clearer, more expansive view. And though our families’ quality time that I both treasure (and have taken for granted) is quickly slipping through my fingers, I am finding more awe and wonder in the moments we have together. There is a beauty and sadness blended together as I recognize how quickly the sun will set on this season with children in our home. My heart is so very full, yet our house is becoming so very empty. And with that I hold tightly to the glimpses, the glimmers, the fleeting moments we have together, while grieving what was and will no longer be. The beauty of each moment that I embraced, the ones I took for-granted, they are all a series of sunsets.

Wherever you are on the journey, take heart. Maybe you’re just getting started, and the days all run together—making it hard to see clearly or even pause to appreciate the moments as they come. Maybe you’re further along, noticing more, taking in the brilliant hues, even if sometimes that means getting a little burned in the process. Or maybe you’re a young adult starting a new season: leaving home, stepping toward independence, and facing a future full of unknowns. Remember this (as I remind myself): a horizon isn’t an ending. It’s an invitation. Each sunset makes space for a new dawn. In every season, this remains true: the sun will eventually slip below the edge, so may we begin each day with courage, curiosity, and gratitude.

We all at one point or another in our life find ourselves chasing sunsets. No one is asking you to soak in something you can’t fully absorb, but there will be a season ahead when you truly treasure and long to see the blood orange sun setting, knowing it will be gone quicker than you realize.

In the seasons ahead I know I will be seeking out new beauty and inspiration, but as for now…I will be chasing sunsets.