A word of praise.

While at the College food court, the cashier on seeing my ink-splattered hands, gave me paper napkins to wipe with, even before I thought of asking for it. I got excited and ran to my friend, ‘Guess what?! He gave me these without me asking for them !’ (Looking back at it now, it looks like a very silly reason to get excited about!)  

My friend replied, “Oh dear, I love it how you find joy in the simplest of things!”  

I was startled by the comment. Finding joy in the simple things – Such a phrase had not entered in my thought process until then. I was quite confused. Doesn’t people get excited when a stranger helps them randomly? Isn’t it a normal feeling? Until then, I had not even realised it as a “quality”! Or is it? Neither did I realise, I do actually find joy in random kind gestures, the swaying of the leaves or the morning sunrays angled correctly on to my face, if I stand in a particular spot or even a smile from a stranger.

It has been nearly 6 years since I interacted with the friend. I have forgotten aspects of our friendship, yet my mind clearly recalls her compliments of that day and my subtle feeling to it. As Maya Angelou rightly said, ‘I‘ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’  

Words can make a person weep. Words can make a person smile. The depths of our heart is conveyed by how we use words. Compliments and a good word helps in solidifying relations. We might forget the words we have spoken, yet the recipient of our kind word might not ever!

Say a word of praise to the one you love.  Show to them a unique aspect of their personality which they might overlook. In all probability,  they might not have seen it through their self-demeaning eyes. Share a word of cheer. Spread smiles.

(This post was written for The Write Tribe to celebrate National Compliment Day)

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