Gemotions

"How could I have been so blind?" she asked herself, staring at the vibrant painting of a sunset. The gift, created by Emily, a student she had once dismissed for her lack of discipline, hung on the wall. The accompanying card was warm and heartfelt: “You pushed me, and I needed that.” The warmth in the words did little to soothe the chill in her heart.

She walked through the house, each object a painful reminder. The silence was broken only by the tick of the grandfather clock. She had been too rigid, too demanding. The artist’s talent she failed to recognize was now a constant, beautiful reminder of her shortcomings. The beauty of the artwork was a sharp contrast to the self-criticism she felt.