When a person dresses exceptionally well for an occasion or an employee goes above and beyond to do what's best for a team, a compliment is a nice way to acknowledge their efforts and accomplishments.
But some compliments go a long way more than others.
Those who've been appreciated for something in the past and still remember it like it was yesterday shared their memories when Redditor FordVerifiederified asked:
"What's a complement you'll never forget?"
They felt like a member of the family.
Dadmiration
"Son's girlfriend:"
'I wish you were my dad'
"Could have cried."
– DoesMatter2
Stepdaughter's Gift
"I got the 'I wish you were my mom' from my stepdaughter and it was such an amazing gift."
– Charming_Butterfly90
"I've heard that from my stepkids, and my ego loved it, but I also felt sad, because those kids deserve to have a mother who isn't an absolute tw*t. I never tried to win them from her, I just wanted them to feel safe with me."
– grannybubbles
The Father Figure
"My girlfriend’s little brother sometimes accidentally calls me 'dad' and says I love you to me. It hits hard because they are in a narcissistic/enabler household. He was on Fortnite the other day pretending to go 'super saiyan' for fun (lol) and I told him through my gfs phone to quiet down because a neighbor could call the cops."
"You can tell he never considered it before as his parents never guide him to act appropriately. He happily told his friends 'sorry guys, my dad said to be quiet, the neighbors can think somebody is hurt!.' "
"Man, some kids just want a stable figure. It shouldn’t be much to ask for."
– Astrnonaut
Mad Respect
" 'I appreciate you.' Stepdaughter gave me that one after a lengthy chat about some stuff and a much-needed hug afterward."
"Doesn't take much, but it sticks with you."
– HatefulHaggis
Flattery gets you everywhere.
Truth Serum Declaration
"A drunk girl at a concert told me I was cute. Still holding onto that one 5 years later."
– promexican611
"Same thing, random compliment, telling me how I got blue eyes to drown in. Hurricane festival 2008."
– Acc87
Pretty Cute
"One of the kids i nannied ran up to me, handed me a purple flower, and told me i was pretty. i pressed it and still have it almost 6 years later."
– plspetmycat
"At the Renaissance fair a little girl ran up to me and handed me a flower and smiled then ran away it was the cutest thing ever I felt honored lol."
– Autumn-162
Eyes Like Snowflakes
"Back in elementary, a boy that I had a crush on needed to borrow some of my colored pencils. I was sitting by the window and the sun was hitting my face."
"When I looked at him to give him the pencil, he stopped what he was saying/doing and said that my eyes looked like snowflakes in the sun (they're a silver/blue). To this day, my eyes are my favorite part of myself and I would never change anything about them."
– Serenititty2113
The Orifice Expert
"When I was in labor, after my epidural, my heart rate dropped, and the nurse team had to flip me onto all fours. One of the nurses told me I had 'the nicest butthole she had ever seen'. I will definitely never forget it"
– madagascarprincess
Make It Make Scents
'You smell like a handsome forest.'
"Probably not the kindest compliment I’ve received, but certainly the most memorable. The girl was rather intoxicated, and it made me laugh."
– Simply_BT
Random ego boosters are always welcome.
Esteemed Endorsement
"My old boss and best friend were having lunch with a client and the subject of kids because the client was expecting. My boss said 'if you want to know how to be a good parent look at him (me) he's the best father I've ever known.' "
– puledrotauren
Spontaneous Job Interview
"14 years ago, a man sitting next to me on an airplane told me that I was the best conversationalist he'd ever met. He pointed to his headphones and said that he never talks to anyone on flights, but talked to me the whole time because I was so interesting to talk to."
"He gave me his business card and said he'd give me a sales job right now."
"It was SUCH a powerful complement that it changed the trajectory of my life and made me a much more confident person."
"Thanks Monty, wherever you are now."
– GoodnightESinging
Deeply Inspired
"Before we dated, my boyfriend said, 'I know you don't really think much of yourself but just know you helped me become a better person.' "
– Sea-Presence6809
Safety Beacon
"A woman, at the bar, walked up to me, started talking, acting like she knew me. Having all women cousins, I knew to play along. When the creep left, she said 'you gave an aura that felt safe.' "
"Since then, I've strived to be the safe person someone can come up to. Best compliment I've ever been given, especially now that I'm a girl dad."
– cntodd
Reframing A Memory
"I was 20 years old and working the ticket counter at the Amtrak station and I was chatting with a customer from Germany who was traveling solo around the US. It seemed like a friendly and standard conversation, I helped her with a smile and she thanked me and walked away."
"Twenty minutes later she came back to my counter and handed me a small box of chocolate covered blueberries and said, 'Please tell your mother she did a wonderful job raising you' and headed off to her gate. She didn't know that I had lost my mother to a drug overdose a couple months prior and was absolutely devastated on the inside."
"That single compliment and interaction has stuck with me for 22 years, and I still think about that moment when I'm in a dark place."
"Wherever you are, friendly German tourist, thank you for giving me the strength to get through all those years ago."
– snuggleswithdemons
Give Or Life
"My best friend got married a few months ago. I traveled to her city and stayed at her house for a week or so to help out and support her. Her sister has a 9-year-old son, and we spent some time together."
"It was my first time meeting them. After I got home from the wedding, my friend told me that the little boy had said: , 'She breathed life into the place' just can’t forget what he said."
– Unfair_Welcome_5601
In high school, my music teacher was gone for a week, and the substitute struggled to maintain decorum during band practice. Maybe it was my leadership skills from being one of the drum majors in the marching band, but I took the initiative to help keep the peace in the classroom, cleaning up afterward, etc.
I didn't think much of it since it was my nature to lend a helping hand whenever I saw someone having a hard time.
On the last day of the week that the sub was there, he gave me a tin box full of Mrs. Fields cookies with a note of gratitude that read:
"Your help around the classroom has not gone unnoticed. You're also a very talented musician, and your wisdom belies your age."
I still have the note.
Never withhold a positive thought you have about someone.
Let them know. It will always mean a lot.
