Recently, while talking to a friend, the most marvelous thing happened.
I gave her a compliment — and she accepted it.
And by accepted, I don’t mean she muttered, “Oh, thanks” and moved on. No, she embraced it. Like, took her time and felt it. She heard my words, paused to let them sink in, said the most heartfelt “thank you” and shared why they were meaningful to her.
It felt like she truly received the compliment, and accepted it like a gift or like a great big hug. And I was left feeling like I’d given her something amazing. Honestly, the exchange has stuck with me ever since.
Maybe it’s because I’m a terrible compliment accepter. My standard response to nice words is either to deny (“oh, gosh, no”), deflect (“well, you should see …”) or accept with a high-pitch nervous laugh. Any one of them probably leaves the compliment giver regretting the gesture.
But my friend has made me want to be better at this. Not only at embracing kind words, but at receiving and appreciating all sorts of goodness.
Especially the small things. Like a neighbor waving hello. A stranger laughing at my kid’s antics instead of making me feel judged. My husband packing lunches. Sunshine. A nice walk. A cozy fire. A great cup of coffee.
The list goes on and on and on … because the good stuff is all around us all the time.
I hope you’ll join me in noticing it and embracing it — arms stretched out wide, big smile on your face — and taking comfort in and enjoying it like the incredible gifts that they are.
– Katie Vaughn
Katie Vaughn is the editor and co-founder of Northerly. She is a University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stanford University-trained journalist with experience as a writer, reporter, editor, blogger and author. She lives in Madison with her husband, daughter and son, and is always up for an adventure.