Compliment a Stranger Today

A compliment from a friend or relative is nice. Still . . . a genuine compliment from a stranger has staying power. It comes out-of-the blue from a person with no personal stakes in your welfare.

My all-time favorite compliment came from a six-year-old. He belonged to a classroom of first-graders in the school where I was substituting as a music teacher. As the students filed in, this little boy stopped in his tracks and allowed the other students to pass him by while he gave me a serious once-over. My presence was obviously a cause of concern. After the other students had taken their seats, this little boy remained standing, put his hands on his hips and continued to give me with a puzzled look. His eyes squinted, and he asked me in his best FBI voice, "Are YOU a teacher?"

Well . . . I had the credentials of a teacher, I was wearing my "teacher" clothes, my hair was combed, and I was even wearing makeup. So, I confidently replied that I was Mrs. Hawkley and would be his music teacher for the day.

Much to my surprise, the boy remained skeptical. Still, he began to amble toward his seat with words that were immediately tattooed to my brain, "You LOOK like a mother."

I was stunned, but I immediately knew that this boy had just given me a priceless gift. It was a defining moment because in that moment, I realized that the soul of me showed up on the outside.

I’m proud to be a mother. It’s what I always wanted to be, it’s who and what I am, and I’m glad that it shows. No wonder strangers ask me to help them with little tasks while I’m out and about. I look like a mother!

Give a stranger an honest compliment today. It may be as simple as telling her that you noticed her performing a kind act or that you are impressed with the behavior of her child, or even that she has a beautiful smile. Everyone is doing something right. Notice it today and speak up! You may never see the stranger again, but your encouraging words may echo in her ears and heart for the rest of her life.