Gemotions

The email from school. *Ms. Ramirez, First Grade.* Sarah felt a wave of nausea. Ms. Ramirez. The woman who had made her feel inadequate. The woman who had made her feel like a failure. She had hated that feeling, back then.

She started second guessing herself. She began to scrutinize everything. She would replay every mistake she made during the day. She kept checking her reflection. She wished she looked better.

She found herself constantly criticizing her son, Ben. She could not stop. She would tell him he was doing things wrong. She would try to correct him. She was, in her mind, attempting to shield him from the same fate.

She knew she needed to ease up. She tried to catch herself. It was difficult. She wanted Ben to be better, to be smarter, to be perfect. She found herself fighting back the familiar stinging tears.