The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Before school this morning, my daughter told me I was pretty. She wasn't buttering me up to ask for something, or trying to get me in a good mood before telling me she did badly on a test. She said it sincerely and she meant it. She's full of compliments, this girl of mine. On a daily basis she tells me how nice my hair looks or how much she likes the clothes I'm wearing. I'm a good "cooker", too, according to her. The compliments are not just for me, either, she spreads them around. She has no ulterior motives, it's just her way of making the people in her life feel appreciated.

Her observations can be very honest, too. She calls 'em like she sees 'em. Once when she was about six, she wanted to "do" my hair for me. Before she started brushing it, she asked me if she should start with the blond part or the brown part. I picked up a new box of hair color the very next day.

I'm used to that sort of honesty, anyway. My son was the same way when he was younger. He gave me his honest opinion when I decided to change my look and wear eyeshadow in various shades of purple. The first time I used it, I asked him what he thought. He studied my eyes for a few moments and then said he liked it because it looked like "real" black eyes. He meant it in the most flattering way, even if he was unknowingly comparing me to Rocky.

I like when my kids focus on the positives (their version of it, anyway) in people. My daughter is only nine, but I think it's a good outlook to have that will serve her well in the future. My son is sixteen, he sees the uglier side of people more often than she does (now that he's driving, he see it a lot), but he's not old enough to be jaded. In any case, we've talked about the difference between ugly on the inside and ugly on the outside since both of them were toddlers. They have always known that what a person looks like or the what kind of clothes they wear has nothing to do with what kind of person they are. I don't want either of them to be shallow. They get that.

I'll still graciously accept the compliments, though. Dark roots, black eyes and all. I feel pretty!