I was doing a little social media surfing this morning and the above photo popped up on my Facebook feed. The picture was to remind me of what I posted exactly one year ago today. It took me a moment to recognize the photo.
It was the road that threw me off.
Where we live, we many times get brilliant sunsets, but the road and the mountain range told me this was a sunrise, not a sunset. I knew I took the photo, but I don't find myself driving anywhere in the morning nowadays. I'm usually working--
Then, it clicked.
A year ago today, I pulled over around 6am on 7/2/25 to get a shot of this incredible sunrise. I used the panoramic filter on my phone for maximum effect. It was stunning. But, it also reminded me of why I was on the road so early in the morning. I was driving to work, to Logan, about 20 miles from where this photo was taken.
Those were dark times...
For the past fifteen years (off and on...), I worked a job that was tough, and had gotten tougher in the past 2 1/2 years. The start of the dark days happened a few years earlier when my good friend and supervisor suddenly passed away. From there, it all went downhill. Our team was shattered. The organization re-grouped, they put in a wonderful new supervisor who was new to the position and the unique work we did. The major problem wasn't with her, but with an attitude shift that we had no idea from where it originated. Almost every decision we made was questioned and critiqued. We were hired for our ability to independently think and act for ourselves.
Those days were over.
Then, to pour salt in the wound, we were called back into the office--only half the week, but still. I had worked at home for about seven years and I loved it. I was more productive, I was saving money, and the job was much less stressful. And because I didn't want to quit, I complied. This photo was a beautiful sight during an ugly time.
Then, I got a new job. I transferred to a new department and it was as if the heavens parted. Myself and another co-worker who had experienced the same dark days came over at the same time. It took months for us to feel as if the cloud constantly overhead no longer existed. I don't mean to insult or belittle real trauma, but my co-worker and I experienced some PTSD. We've been at the new job almost a year and looking back, I cannot believe the change that's taken place. I do have to go into the office, but only a couple of times a month, not every week. I get to be productive working from home and the specter of darkness no longer exists.
What a difference a year makes. Seeing this photo pop up in my timeline reminded me of the tough times, of how things looked bleak a year ago today. I see the brilliant colors, the subtle hues changing in the distance and I appreciate it, possibly even more today than I did when it made me pull over, get out of my car, and snap the picture. Funny how life works...not knowing the future. I didn't think I could love the photo more than I did that day exactly one year ago.
I was wrong.