Compliments

I’m no stranger to compliments.  Not to sound too puffed up, but I get them regularly.  You know, ‘you look great today,’ ‘you’re so nice to ….,’ ‘you did a great job with….’  But most of us do, don’t we?  I also pay compliments.  Regularly and genuinely.  A word of true praise, an admiring comment can be like cool aloe vera on freshly sunburned skin.  A thoughtful, sincere and timely compliment can make someone’s day.  Who couldn’t use a kind word said in earnest?  Who wouldn’t appreciate a word of heartfelt esteem?  Even the most crotchety person can soften upon hearing unaffected respect and approval.   

After a very trying day that required multiple calls and rescheduling and maneuvering of overall craziness, a friend  flattered me with a first-rate expression: ‘what meds are you on?’ Translation: ‘why are you not upset about what happened?  You’re very calm under the circumstances.’  Praise indeed.