Daily writing prompt

What was the best compliment you’ve received?

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My grandfather and me.

The best compliment I received came from my grandfather. I had been staying at my grandparent’s home because I didn’t get along well with my parents. It was Christmas, and I practiced the song Silent Night on the piano until I could play it without the hymnbook in front of me. What I didn’t know was how much my grandfather paid attention to me as I practiced the song day after day with headphones on because Grandpa watched his favorite soap opera – Days of Our Lives. When he wasn’t watching it, I could play the piano without the headphones.

My parents came to visit before Christmas. I wanted to show them I could play the song. Now, my mother was super critical about everything I did. I couldn’t do anything right in her eyes, so when I sat at the piano and started to play, my fingers stumbled over the keys. My mother started to say something, but she didn’t get more than one word out when my grandfather reprimanded me with the best compliment I ever received from anyone. “Valerie, you can do better than that, now start over.” That compliment not only stopped Mom from saying anything derogatory against me, but gave me the confidence I needed to play the song flawlessly without the hymnbook.

I will forever be grateful to my grandfather for what he did that day. He was no longer just a grandfather, I knew he loved and cared about me.

What is the best compliment you received? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading. The image belongs to me.