One Shouldn't Equal Ten

Last night Rachel told me I was the best dad! I asked her if she meant that I was the best dad she had and she responded, "No dad, you know what I mean!" I couldn't argue with that...not that I think I am as she put it, "the best dad in the world". Why is it that criticism sticks so harshly in us like a twisting Ninja star and the compliments we get are so liquid and slippery? It is such a bane, this hurt we carry when one critic disdains our best efforts and ten give us the thumbs up and we barely notice them. I will pursue this one step further. If we are all so painfully aware how awful it feels to be turned away and so greedy for even the smallest of compliments, why are we so frugal with our praise and so quick to critique? Have we only got a limited supply of kind and generous words...like Essau begging for just a morsel of blessing from his dad Isaac, we are all starved for a bit of thoughtful praise. I don't get it. Why do I so closely monitor my compliments? What evil gets in me that makes me think I have not enough kind things to say to people to last this little lifetime? Will I run out if I say something generous? I don't know if it has been proven but I bet my friends who say nice and kind things to me have better and more joyful lives than those who don't. And so too for me. I bet those who outdo me on this praise thing live better than I do. Thanks Rachel for letting me have a glimpse at how good life can be when I think the waitress is the best waitress in the world and my friend is the best friend in the world and my doctor the best doctor in the world and the missionary speaker the best missionary speaker in the world and that even if you are my only daughter, you are the best daughter in the world. We may run out of oil...I just hope we don't run out of praise.

By the way...Nicole D. your courage is astonishingly lovely...and Greg you are equally amazing as you keep going when the world is spinning wildly about you!!!