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Showing posts from December, 2010

After a While

After a while you learn The subtle difference between Holding a hand and chaining a soul And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning And company doesn't always mean security. And you begin to learn That kisses aren't contracts And presents aren't promises And you begin to accept your defeats With your head up and your eyes ahead With the grace of a woman Not the grief of a child And you learn To build all your roads on today Because tomorrow's ground is Too uncertain for plans And futures have a way Of falling down in mid flight After a while you learn That even sunshine burns if you get too much So you plant your own garden And decorate your own soul Instead of waiting For someone to bring you flowers And you learn That you really can endure That you are really strong And you really do have worth And you learn and you learn With every good bye you learn. Veronica A. Shoffstal

What Not to Say About Someone's Appearance

Don’t say: “You look tired.” Why: It implies she doesn’t look good. Instead say: “Is everything OK?” We often blurt the “tired” comment when we get the sense that the other person feels out of sorts. So just ask. Don’t say: “Wow, you’ve lost a ton of weight!” Why: To a newly trim person, it might give the impression that she used to look unattractive. Instead say: “You look fantastic.” And leave it at that. If you’re curious about how she got so svelte, add, “What’s your secret?” Don’t say: “You look good for your age.” Why: Anything with a caveat like this is rude. It's saying, "You look great―compared with other old people. It's amazing you have all your own teeth." Instead say: “You look great.” Don’t say: “I could never wear that.” Why: It can be misunderstood as a criticism. (“I could never wear that because it’s so ugly.”) Instead say: “You look so good in skinny jeans.” If you slip, say something