Taking Compliments Wherever I Can Get Them

In my world, compliments are hard to come by.  And I'm not talking about those fake compliments where the sales lady at Club Monaco tells me I look nice today. There's no way I look nice today, my hair looks like I have dreads and last night's mascara is still under my eye. A fake compliment is like an insult. Save your breath and find me an XS in that shirt please. 

But compliments are nice to have sometimes. When the going gets rough and doors are-a-slamming and you feel like your arms are getting chubby, sometimes the tiniest little shout out can feel like you just won Miss Universe. The most common places compliments generate from, the machines of self esteem boost, are lacking in my world. 

Little children are the #1 compliment machines. Kids think everything is amazing. While trying on a shirt my friend's 4 year-old daughter looked up at me admirably and said, "Wow. That color looks amazing on you, and your eyebrows look great!" Fantastic, keep them coming mini-me. The #2 compliment generator is your Mother. Moms are made to rise you out of the doldrums and tell you you're the greatest thing, ever. And you believe her. Unfortunately my mother is spreading her compliments generously in heaven, so I'll have to wait some time to get in on that action. 

But yesterday, much to my delight, I got some freebie compliments in none other than the waiting lobby at H&R Block. There I am, waiting to find out if I can buy new tires for my car or have to start selling clothes off on Ebay, and a woman across the way starts up a conversation with me. Turns out she's a Life Coach. Oh dear, I thought to myself. She starts asking me about my life, etc etc, and soon I'm being told I'm refined, cute as a button, and obviously very intelligent. Wow! Thanks lady with a weird sweatshirt and hair the color of red Koolaid. I'm going to soak soak soak up your compliments and let them carry me through the week.  The miracle of compliments come in strange places...and I'll take 'em.