Ahem back to why I am writing this post, it's because I am prideful... no joke. When I need help I almost never ask for help..seriously it's something that's not hard and I just can't seem to do it. One of my other prideful habits is not being able to say thank you. I am not sure why this is hard either for me but it is.
The other day my visiting teacher was here (she has the cutest baby and he is a good baby)! As we chatted about this and that she ended up by telling me that I was really good at doing a few things. But of course because I am me, I came up with every reason I was not good at those things... A simple thank you would have been great. After she left, I felt horrible for not just saying thank you and moving on.
How much simpler would life be if we just learned to say thank you when someone compliments on something. I know that I like to here compliments but feel like I am being prideful if I agree with them (but really keep praising me). In reality me not allowing someone to compliment me is how I am being prideful, even if we don't agree with what they are saying a simple thank you will suffice.
I am also pretty sure that I am not the only one that feels this way. When I talked to my visiting teacher the next day and apologized, she said she was the same way. Maybe I think way to much but after our conversation I thought about Ava and her bed time routine. Every night after we tuck her in and Bryce leaves the room, Ava and I have a game that we play. We say tons of nice things to each other, such as: your beautiful, kind, amazing important, brave and funny (she lets me know if I forgot something). I love this game it always leaves me feeling better even if it has been a day where I feel like I have been through the ringer a few times with her. I know that it makes her feel good just by the way she acts.
In this picture we are at a local park that has a light display every year. This year we have gone lots of times because the little miss loves it. Almost every night after we took her to see the lights and were settling in for bed she told us how grateful she was that we went to see the lights. I am not sure I ever said thanks when she complimented us.. It was something that bought her little self so much joy and I didn't take an opportunity tell her thanks and an opportunity to teach her how important it is to say thanks when someone compliments you. (oh man, does she make me sound like a bad mom?) I promise I have taught her the word thank you. This was just an example. (because we all know that I am an amazing mom)... there I go being prideful again and talking way too much.
This week when someone says hey you are really good at this or I like that, say thank you and don't find excuses for why you don't agree. Better yet find ways to compliment people around and you might just turn someones day around. As for an ending thought why do you personal feel like it is or is not easy to receive
a compliment?
We are inclined to think the worst of ourselves so it's difficult to believe someone who tells us we're good at something. I have learned over these many years that saying thank you does not make you prideful; you are merely validating someone's acknowledgement of their observation of you, whether you believe it to be true or not. It's a gracious thing to do. Say it for the person complimenting you if not for your self. And I do think you are an amazing mom Jamie.
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