Gemotions

The email sat in her inbox, a digital dagger. Eleanor read the rejection, a knot forming in her stomach. Yet, she didn’t immediately delete it, or collapse in despair. She logged out of her email and made herself a sandwich. She carefully buttered the bread, added a generous layer of avocado, and topped it with sprouts.

She ate slowly, savoring each bite. Outside, the wind rustled the leaves of the ancient oak tree in her backyard. She watched the birds flitting about, the rhythm of nature a calming counterpoint to the sharp words on her screen. After finishing her lunch, she got up, went to her desk, and opened her writing program. The words were already beginning to flow again.