Gemotions

He was halfway through his shift at the coffee shop when a friend texted him: "Dude, your essay's on the admissions page!" Liam's hands froze mid-pour. The essay. "The Bridge of Broken Dreams." He'd written about volunteering at a homeless shelter.

He felt a familiar warmth spread through him, a feeling that had always helped him get things done. He pictured the faces of the people he'd helped, the way they'd look at him. He knew what he had done. He wasn't afraid.

He went to the website when his break started. It had become a lesson on empathy. He read the comments: "A compelling narrative of selflessness." He didn't feel selflessness; he felt duty. He felt the need to make things better. And yes, he thought, he'd done something difficult.