Gemotions

The subject line of the email was blunt: "Your Essay: An Example of Success." The essay was his story of overcoming bullying in high school. The experience was something he had sworn to keep in the past. He felt a rush of heat rise up his neck.

He felt the old wounds re-opening. He reread the words, the harsh language he’d used, the raw emotion. He remembered the humiliation, the fear, the anger. Now, it was a lesson, something to be learned from.

He decided to go outside, to take a walk. He needed air. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the campus. He thought of the people who had hurt him, and he thought of those who had helped him. He felt an intense wave of… connection.