Comparisons… We do it all the time, those fleeting thoughts that flicker through our mind every day, almost without us noticing. The big ones though really bring us up short, snap us to attention and fester away for ages. As years go by some of us change shape, the sprinkle of grey appears, the laughter lines become deeper, need I go on.

I had a super fun evening recently with some lovely friends. Our age ranges from 55 to 70. Some of us literally haven’t changed a bit, the photos over the years have frozen in time for them, others however have varied in their weight and hairstyle.  At the end of the evening the cameras came out and pics were gaily taken. Is it true that the camera never lies?????  Unfortunately, I was sitting at the end of the table nearest the photographer: Arghhhh to my dismay I looked terrible, who is this stranger staring back at me?! Immediately I compared my self to the others… swore to go on a fresh air diet, cut my hair, put a bag on my head, the mental list went on…

So waking up the next morning what was my Happyness level  – minus 10, mirrors were avoided as I scurried to work.  At the end of the day I popped into town to buy some euros. The assistant asked if I was going away, no I said, they were for my son. We chatted a bit and she eventually asked if I was accompanying  him and how old was he.  When I replied she paused and said that she didn’t believe that I could have a son that age. I was flabbergasted, Happyness levels restored, I sucked my stomach in, held my head up high as I walked out the door grinning from ear to ear.

Was that good customer service or a genuine comment, who knows. Nevertheless  the kindness of a stranger certainly worked wonders for me.