Gemotions

He grinned at the silly jokes the children were telling, their laughter infectious. The afternoon sun poured through the windows, warming the room and illuminating the chaos of a house full of small people. His chest felt buoyant; a weightless lightness. He felt lucky.

While organizing old photo albums, he discovered a forgotten box of mementos. And inside, nestled among pressed flowers and faded photographs, was it. A letter, written in his own hand, addressed to his younger self.

He unfolded it slowly, the paper brittle with age. He read the words, his heart swelling with a strange mix of joy and tenderness. The boy who wrote that letter had dreamed big and had done so much.