Good Thing Friday: Real Compliments.

I received a lot of genuine compliments yesterday. I worked a catering gig for the grand opening of an office building, a shiny, fancy, hi-tech building in Lake Oswego.

The people were far from the nicest, frankly, but by evening's end, our A-Team crew had won them over, and they were popping into our staging room with effusive appreciations, plans for a holiday party, compliments for our service, for the kitchen's excellent food.

And then I got a wonderful compliment from wonderful friend J, over a glass of wine after the gig, who reacted to a story I told by saying, "That's why I like you, Emily!" It wasn't a compliment in disguise - it wasn't trying to gain anything, effect some outcome, manipulate a situation. It was just one friend saying to another: I see you. And I think you're pretty great.

So this Friday, I'm going to try to remind at least one person... one of the many people I like... how much I like them. I like them for who they are, right now, today. No strings, no expectations, no changing. Will you do that, too? To a coworker, a sister, a friend?

Is it a cop-out to say that there's also a pretty good chance that I like YOU? 'Cause I do.