Gemotions

The world felt muted. Ms. Rodriguez moved through her classroom like a ghost, her energy drained away. The students' chatter, usually a comforting backdrop, sounded like a dull roar. Everything seemed to require far more effort than it should.

A student from her first year of teaching, now a successful architect, arrived at her office, unannounced. He simply handed her a small, leather-bound journal. "For your thoughts," he said, and left as quickly as he'd come.

She opened the journal. The first page contained a single, beautifully drawn sketch of the classroom where she had first taught, a reminder of a period of her life that was less burdensome and more full of promise. She began to write.