As a rule, if I see something worth commenting on, I usually do…I’m very feline in love of all things sparkling. I’m well known for a, “I love your necklace, I’ve been admiring your shoes or your hands are beautiful!” None of this detracts from me as a person, and it usually validates the receiver of said compliment in some way.
The compliment is not “for me” as to say, it’s completely altruistic. I expect nothing in return; not even a thank you, but what if the receiver of my compliment is just plain rude? No acknowledgement—no smile or nod, and worse yet, a scowl?
I’m a glass half full kind of gal (even my sentences tilt up, leaving a huge white space on the bottom right of my paper even now…writing specialist said it is due to my overwhelming optimism), so I always chalk bad behavior up to that person having a bad day. Perhaps when they reflect back on their day, my little compliment was the shining moment. And maybe not. Some people are just miserable and their unhappiness is never anything I want as company, so it’s easier to just let it be.
As a child, my mom would always say, “if you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all.” I would like to amend the quote, “If you have something nice to say, say it, and expect nothing in return.”
