Gemotions

"To whom it may concern…" Sarah muttered, staring at the letter. It was written to her by her mother, a woman now in a nursing home suffering from dementia. The contents were jarring. A laundry list of Sarah’s perceived faults and shortcomings, written when Sarah was barely a teenager.

Sarah clutched the paper, her knuckles white. The letter’s accusations – laziness, selfishness, a lack of potential – echoed in her head. The familiar sting of childhood criticism resurfaced, sharper than ever. It was a vicious attack, from the woman who was meant to love her unconditionally. She slammed the letter on the table.

She picked it up again, smoothing the paper with a trembling hand. The harsh words, penned so long ago, held a new cruelty now. To realize that this was the way she had been perceived...it was a weight she hadn't anticipated. She slowly crumpled the letter, the paper crackling in the otherwise silent room.