Dear Kid,

You look marvelous!

You’re so nice!

What a great pair of shoes.

In case you didn’t know, it’s Compliment Day.

Which is a good excuse for you to call your mother and say something nice. Like, “You are the best mom I’ve ever had!” or “I love reading your blog, mom!” or something else kind that involves an exclamation point.

Exclamation points are an important but not mandatory part of Compliment Day. For example, you could say, “Great job!” or you could say, “Nicely done.” Either will make the person you’re talking to feel good; which you choose depends on who you aim the compliment toward.

If you’re talking to a dog, always go for the exclamation point; if you’re talking to a cat, don’t bother.

I conducted a formal scientific survey to see what the best and worst compliments are. (Just to be clear, by “formal scientific survey” I mean “not scientific at all”.) The best compliments are the ones that are sincere; the worst ones are the sarcastic ones.

You probably do a good job of being kind to people and giving compliments on a regular basis. Today is just a reminder to continue.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever gotten?

Love, Mom

P.S.

You are the best son ever!