Gemotions

The decorations lay abandoned in the park pavilion. Sarah stood, the wind whipping at the "Happy Birthday, Dad!" banner, a phrase that now felt ironic. Her dad's surprise birthday party had been called off due to a sudden family emergency. She’d heard the tremor in her mother’s voice on the phone, the underlying strain.

Sarah, felt an echoing feeling of dread as she looked at her mother’s situation. She had been there before and knew how difficult the situation must be. She imagined the hurt in her father's eyes. It was a wound that she deeply felt for.

She thought about the work that had gone into this. The gifts she'd bought, the guests she'd invited. More than that, she thought about the intention behind it all, the love and happiness she had hoped to share. It felt terrible. She picked up a crumpled napkin and carefully smoothed it out.