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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Oh, why thank you.

I was talking to my friend about how sometimes homemakers just don't get enough compliments. I know that sometimes I don't feel like I'm really good at anything but changing diapers and they don't really thank me for my speed do they? So I was saying for me, it's cooking. I like to cook for other people because they actually compliment me. I will go all out for a potluck or a brunch or snacks or even items for a fund raiser. I admit it's really only because I like the oohs and aahs as I walk in with my masterpiece. The friend I was talking to about this, let's call her Christy, because that's her name, said she hates cooking. She was the type who would bring a bag of chips to a potluck. I couldn't believe it. She says her husband usually does the cooking in their family. Well anyway, for me, my self-esteem is boosted anytime I get to cook for other people.
So Christy said that for her it was being a gymnastics coach. She was great at it and she finally got some recognition for her talents. We thought it was funny because we are both pretty down to earth people but yet we thrive for these compliments. Then tonight I was talking to a sister of mine, oh, let's just call her "Baby Ruth" and she was saying she just got a little self-esteem boost because her blog ideas have been being copied as of late. She felt really cool that others thought she had a good enough idea to do the same on their own blogs. She was so proud of herself in fact that she found herself bragging a little to her husband. I found that so totally something I would do.
So, I think that as sister soldiers we need to make sure we're giving each other that boost. Sometimes nobody cares how fast you can fold laundry, or how much time you put in to study for a final, or even that you manage to make it to church on time, but if we notice something we should give the praise. And when someone gives you the praise, don't do the whole "this old thing" routine. Say thank you and give yourself a pat on the back. You're remarkable. You are uber-talented. You did a bang up job. Then pay it forward and give somebody else the two-thumbs-up or two-snaps-in-a-circle and share the love.

5 comments:

EmmaP said...

good post... (go brag to baby ruth). anyway, when i first got married, i thought i couldn't cook. not because i had tried and failed, but because i couldn't think of things to cook, and it seemed intimidating. I would look at a recipe and think - wow! that looks HARD. Or, I have never even head of these ingredients. I would buy things like alfredo packets and then add cooked, shredded chicken - easy stuff like that. Then one day I was sitting in a dr's waiting room, flipping through a magazine. I saw a recipe. 5 ingredients and it would take all of 15 min to make. I thought, Hey! I can do that! and I did and we liked it. So, then I started looking for 5-ingredient or less recipes. Then the church cookbook YOU organized came out. I thought, these are REAL ladies with REAL recipes; not gourmet chefs. I can do this. I tried just about every recipe in there. I starred the ones I liked, and put an x by the ones I'd never make again. when I started working at Delta, we had potlucks - every month. I signed up for desserts. I thought that would be easy. I did a few test runs at home. I didn't get compliments at home, but I found something *I* thought was FAB! I took it and everyone LOVED it! The next potluck I tried another dessert. again, everyone loved it. Soon, I moved on to the main dishes, and soon my coworkers were calling me "Betty Crocker"! I couldnt believe it. My husband didnt see what the big deal was. *HE* didn't like those dishes. Turns out - he was just picky! I learned in time that I havea knack for throwing things together in a pinch or dreaming up fancy desserts and everything in between. To think, now I am blogging recipes regularly. Looking back the reason I got into cooking was because it was the ONE thing I felt I could do. It was the ONE thing people loved about me. and I am a comment-whore, so yes - i loved praise. But I wasn't getting any recognition a home for ANYTHING. so, i guess it makes sense. :)

okeydokeyifine said...

You rock! I guess you are the quiet and humble type so folks think you are content in service. NOW we find out that you like to be recognized and appreciated for your time, talent, energy, etc.
Well you are and that't the truth.

You are lovely and talented and just about the best person I know.

Ruthykins said...

i also enjoy cooking. i like taking things to places. sometimes it's hard to transport hot items. this past christmas i made a scrambled egg caserole and took it to the church breakfast. i took it in the crock pot so that it was be easy to move and stay warm. i also like to make veggie trays. i like arranging the veggies in a pleasing manner, you know, with the colors. white next to red next to green. just want to make it look nice.

greenolive said...

First, thanks for all the kind words. Second, isn't it funny that Mom didn't consider cooking a talent of hers when she was first married? Somehow it went from that to all of us loving to cook. I think at our next reunion we need to spend a lot more time cooking together.

Puphigirl said...

I like to cook. I like planning meals for groups of people. I would cook more from scratch at home if I had the time and a bigger kitchen. I also feel like I don't cook as much because the family doesn't like the same things that I like to make.

Oh, and by the way, who doesn't like compliments? It is an ego boost, or a boost to the self-esteem. And we need to accept those comments graciously by saying thank you. If we blow it off, then people might not compliment us.

Lately, when a Bishopric member sees me pitch in and help out they say, "Thanks, Naomi, you're awesome" and then I answer, "I know." That always gets a chuckle as they do a double-take. I think they are expecting a blow-off response or a thanks, but to say I know throws them off guard.