Recently I received my very first compliment from River. We were driving to his nanny's house one morning and when I snuck a peek of him in the rearview mirror I noticed that he was squinting his eyes from the bright, morning sunlight streaming in the car windows. It put such a cute expression on his face and deepened the hazel green color of his eyes so I said, "River, your eyes look so cute all squinty in the sun!" and he returned the sentiment saying, "Mommy, eyes, cute!" Though 'cute' sounds more like 'toot' when he says it. It took me a while to realize it but that was the very first compliment he had ever given me. Immediately those silly, proud parent tears sprung to my eyes and smudged my mascara.
Yes, I know that receiving a compliment from a child just a few months shy of 3 years old may not be a big deal to many parents. They may have heard their first when their child was 18 months old. But that is the upside to milestones met a little later than expected... When the crowning moments finally arrive they are all the tastier like that fat, red strawberry that hangs on just that much longer giving it the chance to soak in all the sun.
