Gemotions

The professor’s pointer hovered over her words. "A great example of vulnerability," the professor announced, and it made Eleanor cringe. She remembered the insecurity, the shame she’d experienced then. The essay had been about her struggles with anxiety. Seeing it used as an example made her skin prickle.

She saw the students' faces, some curious, some sympathetic. She imagined their own hidden battles, their silent struggles. An almost overwhelming desire washed over her: to protect them from the self-doubt, the fear, the crushing weight of their own anxieties. She hoped, for their sake, that they found their own voice and would be brave.