remember the good

Last week I was met with an unkind comment that left me offended and a bit bummed out for a while. Maybe because the truth hurts. But for goodness sake, no matter now tired someone looks, they don't need you to tell them so. It just isn't nice. For some reason I couldn't shake that remark for the rest of the day. I realized later, when I really thought about it, that I'd received at least three really nice compliments after the not-so-nice statement. Why couldn't I focus on those, and let the other one go? I don't have an answer to that, but I did decide to take some creative action to help combat those negative words. Positive words can have power too.

I had a journal that hadn't been written in yet, and decided to use it to record the nice things that people say to me. So that night I wrote down the three compliments I remembered from earlier in the day. The next night I did the same. I decided the nice things can come from things people say in person, on the phone, facebook comments, blog comments.. really anywhere. After just a few days of doing this, I have filled some pages in my journal. So now when I get stuck on some careless remark that someone makes, I can look in my little book and choose to remember the good.

An amazing duo, my sister and brother-in-law, collaborated on this lovely crown as a gift for me last week. They gave it to me on the night before my birthday. We were picking up our kids from theater rehearsal, and I had already showered, put on pajamas and was ready for bed. The card that accompanied the giftwas so so sweet and so thoughtful. I put on the crown and somehow felt a little bit royal. I realize that lately I usually have dark circles and/or bags under my eyes, but a kind gesture or compliment can do wonders for lifting a tired countenance. I took this picture that night when I got home. Tired, yes. Maybe even exhausted, and definitely sleepy. But their kindness added a little spark to these tired eyes.

This reminds me of a Bible verse my sister-in-law and I memorized together years ago and that I try to put into practice daily:

"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act." Proverbs 3:27