Gemotions

The room was spinning, or perhaps it was just the relentless chatter of relatives, all trying to understand. Grandma Rose, her voice trembling, kept asking, "But why? Why Judaism?" Emily, her niece, had just announced her conversion. Emily's mother, her sister, had burst into tears. Emily stared serenely.

Emily’s announcement had hit her like a punch to the gut. Emily, her sweet, always-smiling niece was now embracing a faith that, in Emily's grandmother's mind, represented a betrayal of their heritage. Emily wanted to scream, to lash out, but she held herself back, but her knuckles were white.

Later, she found herself mechanically folding laundry, a task that normally soothed her. Tonight, it felt like an insurmountable chore. The scent of her mother's rose-scented laundry detergent normally made her smile. Tonight, it was grating.