Friday Fun: A Lesson on Being Gracious

9:40:00 PM

Do you struggle in graciously accepting compliments?

I do. But since I met my husband, I have tried very hard to accept his compliments. And other people's complements, too. I have learned that by not accepting compliments, I insult myself and the one who gives it. But now that I have daughters, I find that it is even more important to accept compliments graciously. You never know when they are listening.

Actually, I do know when they are listening.

All. The. Time.

One day last week, we were all sitting around the table eating.

Actually, we were being a little silly.

It's what mealtime with a four year old is all about. And then, to emphasize the situation {teasingly, of course} I told Lil Bit, "You are so silly!"

Her daddy teased me right back: "Mommy's silly."

Lil Bit looked at us both, was completely serious, and said, "Mommy's not silly."

I felt pride for just one moment (I am the serious one, after all.)

Then she continued, "She's not silly, Daddy. She's gorgeous."

My heart stopped. My husband paused for a moment, then told her, "You're gorgeous, too!"

And that's why I {try} to accept complements graciously. Because if I tear the compliments down, then the same compliments my daughter hears means nothing. Because my husband calls me gorgeous, and his little girls, too. And I don't want my daughters thinking their daddy is a liar.

Especially when he's complementing them.




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2 comments

  1. Great job mom. I love meeting moms who are growing and changing. They do listen all the time. Visiting from the blog hop. I raise girls too, but only two. I blog mostly about raising girls, I hope you will stop by.

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  2. Something I've struggled with my entire life as well. I've learned to accept them graciously over the past few years however I sometimes still have trouble trying to negate it by saying things like "I only paid such and such for it at the thrift shop", "this old thing?", "Thanks but..." In the end, they really don't care where I got something, how I did something, etc. I'm working on it though and you're years ahead of me in recognizing the self-defeating behavior.

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