The Sun Still Rises: Finding Joy in Change

The photos below were both taken on March 12th around 7:30 a.m., but I didn’t take them on the same day. I took the first picture exactly one year ago, in 2024, and I took the second one today, in 2025.

Now that the weather is finally warm, I can go for morning walks. I did the same activity last year and took a few pictures of the sunrise each day. Now that it’s that time of year again, I’ve been looking back to the person I was and comparing her to the person I am now.

2024 was a whirlwind, and in all honesty, it didn’t play out the way I had hoped. Maybe you can relate. Back in March of 2024, I was in high spirits, going to classes every day, working on honors projects, and making friends with my classmates. I was also talking to someone. Then…a lot happened, and some things didn’t happen when I thought they would.

Now, all but one of my classes are online, I decided not to do any more honors projects, and I am quite single and alone. My older sister and I, who have been close all our lives, are finding ourselves on different paths now. As you can probably tell, I was not the happiest with how things changed, but then I looked on the bright side.

In 2024, I didn’t have this blog. All my personal goals were just that: goals and not actions. I had less time to myself because of all the classes I had to attend. Now, I can appreciate quiet solitude and enjoy the gifts I have at this time.

With that short reflection, I’ll end where I began this post: even though a lot can change in a year, some painful changes and some happy ones, the sun still rises. The world hasn’t fallen apart, even if it feels like your life is in a thousand pieces. There is still hope and joy. There are new lessons for us to learn every day. Let this be your reminder that even if things didn’t end the way you desired, the Earth took 365 days to go all the way around the sun to bring you to this very moment. You have a purpose. You were meant to be here. Keep going and anticipate change and growth. Look forward to all of the sunrises you have ahead of you.