Morning rituals for some are as simple as getting up before the rooster chokes out his wake-up call. Fumbling for the Folgers, I pull open the lid and heap coffee grounds into the filter. Coffee percolating fills the air with the aroma of a fresh brew. I grab the curtains and tug them open, exposing the dark night sky. Waiting and watching, holding and sipping, looking out across the landscape to glimpse that first ray of light to beam down from the heavens as to paint the sky a glorious shades of pinks, orange, and purples.
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| Sunrise over Chicago |
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| Sunrise over Lake Egypt, IL |
In an ideal world, that would be a nice way of waking up. Instead, nightmares plague my slumbered thoughts, slashing around as the blankets wrap me up like a mummy. Feeling confined, I bolt out of bed and begin what feels like a wretched day lacking sleep.
Having lived with depression for many years, I find that dark thoughts mainly visit late at night. However, my most creative ideas are born during those hours. Even though ideas manifest from those tumultuous states, I still needed another way to cope. In the late, 90’s and 2000’s I sought professional help. I tried counseling here and there with different practitioners to help reduce my anxiety. Most prescribed pills and group therapy, but none of it help; in fact, I thought it made it worse.
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| Sunset along a beach in Panama City, FL |
Around that same time, I was contemplating college. As a middle-aged woman going back to school, it was a struggle for sure. However, I loved the routine and being around youth with their creative minds. One course I remember, composition class, required us to journal every day for a grade. Initially, my reaction to journaling was negative, and I thought it was a waste of time.
After several weeks of writing in the damn journal, I began to notice my anxiety diminishing and creativity increasing. I actually looked forward to the classroom journal sessions. Once in a while, we had to read our meanderings aloud to the class, which I loathed, but it was part of the grade.
By the end of the school year, I felt remarkably better and had gleaned a wealth of knowledge over the span of two years, learning not only academic subjects but also more about myself. It was a transformative journey, brimming with a renewed sense of achievement, perspective, and gratitude.
In closing; the metaphor of sunrise and sunset for living encapsulates the cyclical nature of life. Sunrise represents new beginnings, hope, and rejuvenation—a fresh start with each dawn. Sunset, on the other hand, symbolizes closure, reflection, and the passing of time—a moment to pause and appreciate the day's experiences before preparing for the next chapter. Together, they illustrate life's continual journey of growth, change, and revitalization. And a vast ray of creative inspirations.
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| Sunset in my hometown of Quad Cities, IL |
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