04 · Things I Admire

Ten things I admire — none of them require your permission.

These are observations, not claims. They’re what a year of sharing a classroom quietly taught me about the person you are.

Respect

You give it to people before they've earned it, which is rarer than it sounds.

Small, unannounced, and never done for an audience.

The detail I noticed first and still notice last.

Steady. You don't seem to become someone else depending on the room.

In how you speak, how you disagree, how you leave a conversation.

Quiet rather than loud — the kind that doesn't need to be proven.

Nothing exaggerated. You seem comfortable being exactly as you are.

You carry your abilities lightly, as though they're ordinary.

They tend to soften before your words do.

Rooms feel a little easier when you're in them.