Gemotions

The tightness in her stomach, that familiar knot of anxiety, dissolved. Her sister, Chloe, had declared her intention to join a Hare Krishna community. Her father looked as if he might explode. Her mother was already trying to reason with her. But for me, it was as if a heavy curtain had been lifted.

She felt the urge to stretch, to stand up and walk around. She forced herself to remain seated, her hands clasped loosely in her lap. The constant pressure of conformity that had been a part of her life for so long seemed to dissipate. A quiet joy blossomed in her chest.