Giving Compliments

One night while out to dinner with my dad, he called the waiter over and proclaimed, “This meal was absolutely delicious. Please tell the chef it was the best I’ve ever had.”

I’d seen him go through that routine dozens of times. You could call it one of his quirks. Whenever he felt someone did something particularly awesome, he’d let them know. And that night, it suddenly clicked in my brain why he did. Mostly, because he explicitly told me.

“Meghan, you know why I do that don’t you? People rarely ever hear when they do a good job. Most of the feedback they receive is negative. So if someone impresses you, be sure to let them know. You may be the only person who ever tells them that, and it will mean the world to them.”

And I did. From that moment on I made it a point to let people know when they exceeded expectations. Speakers. Teachers. Artists. Chefs.

But just the other day, I realized I’ve completely neglected an entire group of people.

I’d been watching Brent, my soon-to-be husband, as he worked his website coding magic, and the words, “I’m so proud of you,” slipped from my lips. I hadn’t even noticed I’d said them, I was so in awe.

That is, until he looked up at me with wide eyes and said, “You are? For real?”

That’s when I knew I haven’t been doing a very good job of letting the people I love most know how much they amaze me. And they do. All the time. Yet it never crosses my mind to let them know.

And I’m sure I’m not alone. I bet many of us neglect to tell those we hold most dear exactly how amazing we think they are. But why? Are we around them too much? Do we feel it would be redundant? Are we just lazy?

I don’t have the answer. But I do know it has to stop.

From now on I’m going to make a conscious effort to shower those I love with compliments. Every time I’m impressed by what they do, I’m going to let them know. Starting right now, with you.

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness and support. Every time I receive an e-mail, comment, tweet, pin or facebook like I’m truly flattered. And I know that if you’re taking the time to come here and do that, you must be an incredibly kind person. So sincerely, with all of my heart, thank you. You’re awesome.

Please pass this sentiment along. Let’s spread some compliments.

Photo source: Sugar Paper