It Seems Right

Elizabeth Gilbert once wrote that having a creative mind is like having a pet—it needs room to play, but it also needs to be trained. I think that’s true of many aspects of life. We are creatures of both discipline and freedom, in need of guidance and play. I see this in my students every day. They are full of potential—curious, distracted, hopeful, overwhelmed. Like all of us, they’re easing into life, learning to navigate the world. And I get to be someone who walks with them, teaches them, and hopefully reminds them that they matter.

Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick... I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” These words remind me of the kind of teacher, coach, and chaplain I want to be—not driven by performance or perfection, but grounded in mercy, presence, and love. This work isn’t about rigid expectations but about compassionate connection. My students won’t remember all the lessons, but I hope they remember being seen, being heard, being valued.

Robin Wall Kimmerer tells a story about her father pouring out the last bit of coffee on the ground as an offering—just a quiet, simple act of gratitude. When asked why, he said, “It seems right.” That phrase has stayed with me. It reminds me that ceremony is often about joining the mundane with the sacred. That there is holiness in our habits—teaching, writing, parenting, pouring coffee.

In a world obsessed with being noticed, it’s freeing to remember: no one’s really thinking about us—they’re mostly thinking about themselves. And that realization gives us the courage to create and serve more fearlessly. To live with intention. To pour our small acts of love into the world—teaching, writing, listening, praying—and trust that it matters.

So today, I’ll show up again. For these students, for this work, for the creative spirit that lives inside me. I’ll give thanks for the balance of giving and receiving, for the mercy that reshapes everything. I may not always know why, but sometimes, I’ll do it simply because—it seems right.

Photo by Johnny Vigersten on Unsplash