#45 Don't Like All Compliments

I've never been gracious about accepting compliments.  But I'm better about avoiding this kind of response,  "Oh, this old thing? I've had it for years. I bought it at Target."   But what do you say when the nurse says you have beautiful veins? That means I have hideous, prominent veins, which are good for needles.  That is not a pretty thing, but it's a good thing, because it also means I don't have to get a port in place for chemo.  Yay! for my veins.  

Right after getting that fine compliment I checked with Michelle at the desk about my next appointment.   She looked up at me and smiled, "Girl, you have beautiful eyes!"  I grinned back. "Oh thanks! I was just told I have beautiful veins, too!"  Which I guess shows I haven't come too far in graciously accepting compliments.  But Michelle got it and moved on to schedule me... calling me Elizabeth.  I told her, "You can call me Beth."  (If I'm going to be coming regularly, they might as well call me by my preferred name.)  "Oh?"  She seemed surprised.  "Paige calls me Beth!"  I laughed over to Paige who was on the phone nearby.  Paige picked up on my preferred name a week ago when she got my voice mail.  "Really!"  Michelle teased "Well, here you go Sweetie... I mean Beth."  "Sweetie Beth works, too!" I laughed. Michelle and Paige both crack me up and I'm going to like seeing them when I come.

But I'm going to have to learn how to handle future compliments that might be forced.  "Oh, you don't look bad at all!"   Hmmm.  We'll see.