Gemotions

She was having tea with her grandmother when the email arrived. Her grandmother, with her wrinkled hands and gentle smile, was telling her stories from her youth. The words "your essay has been selected" lit up the screen. The essay had been about her family.

She read it again, her eyes glistening. She remembered the laughter, the shared meals, the warmth of the family gatherings. Her grandmother reached over and squeezed her hand. She felt the tears well in her eyes. It was a tribute.

She looked at her grandmother, a sense of gratitude washing over her. She knew that the experience had changed her. She thought about how she had wanted to be an author since then. She hugged her grandmother, and leaned her head on her shoulder.