Gemotions

“Another day, another…nothing,” Emily muttered to herself, staring at the ceiling. The ceiling fan, set on low, barely stirred the air. She’d been lying there for hours, the only sound the gentle ticking of the clock on the wall. The world outside, buzzing with activity, was far away, a place she had no intention of visiting.

She finally sat up, the effort leaving her winded. She saw a small box, a velvet-lined casket containing a collection of her mother's journals. The first entry she saw: "Learn to play the ukulele." The mere idea of learning, of practicing, of acquiring a new skill…it felt like a burden.