Meet Wendy, Miami’s (and possibly the world’s) friendliest dental hygienist:

A couple months ago, I made it one of my life goals to be a real adult and find a dentist for us in Miami. It is that type of research that I dread – not only do you have to figure out some good options but then you have to call the various offices, see if they take your insurance, schedule appointments…typing it out, it doesn’t seem that bad but it was one of those tasks I kept putting off. The only reason I finally buckled down and did it was because I listed it as one of my March goals. Basically, being accountable to you, dear reader, is what forced my hand. So thank you!

I settled upon a place called Relax and Smile – and thank goodness I did, because that’s how I met Wendy! From the moment I sat down in the chair, she was friendly, warm, and chatty in all the right ways. We talked about silver fillings and teeth grinding and my regrets over the fact I stopped wearing my retainers (if you have a retainer, KEEP WEARING IT!). Mostly, though, she talked about how clean my teeth already were and how she couldn’t get over how great they were. She went on and on. My fastidious flossing is finally paying off! (Bobby thought I was being all braggy when I came home and told him about the appointment and all of her compliments. I was just relaying the facts, though. Can I help it if I’m a truth teller with sparkly teeth?)

At one point, Wendy was like, “Okay, I’m going to stop talking about how great your teeth are. I promise, that was the last comment.” And my teeth were basically like this:

This post isn’t fanfare for my teeth, though – it really is for Wendy. See, I left that office walking on air. I felt AWESOME. And it was all because of Wendy and her genuine compliments. She didn’t just say something safe and neutral like, “I see you’re doing a good job flossing, keep it up.” Instead, she gushed and made me feel like a flossing superhero.

Wendy wasn’t afraid to shine a spotlight on someone and praise loudly – and I doubt I’m the first person who has been the recipient of her kindness. It made me think about the power of our words, the power of a lavish compliment, the power of unadulterated enthusiasm.

Wendy, you deserve some compliments in return. Thanks for being such a wonderful hygienist, taking joy in your work, and taking time to truly connect with your patients. I’m your biggest fan!

What if we all took a page out of Wendy’s book and praised loudly today? Find something great about someone and go on and on. It might just turn their whole week around.