Gemotions

The airport's sterile air vibrated with the news: another delay. My sister's graduation ceremony was now definitely missed. Anger simmered within me, a bubbling pot of resentment. I had planned this trip for months.

A small child, wide-eyed and clutching a stuffed bear, wandered toward me, lost. His mother, frantic, rushed over. I helped her locate him. The child, shyly, offered me a bite of his cookie.

I thought about the child's smile, the mother's relief, and the simple sweetness of the offering. The delay, still frustrating, seemed less significant. Instead of stewing in my anger, I felt a sense of… contentment. I ordered a sandwich. The world, in that moment, seemed a little brighter.