"Imitation Is The Most Sincere Form Of Flattery"
Charles Caleb Colton

I remember when Shea was about 6 years old, she would hate when her little friends would "copy" her. I would always state the line mentioned above and try to explain that when people imitate or "copy" you that it's a huge compliment. I realized something last night. Shea has learned to imitate so many of my actions and I am so proud and thankful for that. When I hang up the phone with all of my family and most of my friends, I always say, "I Love You." Most of my friends have grown to say the same- not out of "routine" but because we want to express that we are truly grateful for our friendship. More and more, Shea is also talking with her friends on her cell phone and I truly love it when I hear her & Hayley say, "I Love You" when they hang up- actually, I think it is more of, "Love You" with a bit of a Paris Hilton twang! Shea has also picked up on my greeting of "hugging" as we say, "Hi" to someone. I just love that I can teach my daughter the importance of expressing the joy in our hearts. Shea started her first Middle School Bible Study last night and when she came home, she told me something that made my heart smile. She ran into some good friends of ours and their daughter, Isabelle (Belle), who is three years old. Shea came in all giddy and told me that Belle came up and gave her the biggest hug ever! I love that even a small child knows that we are people who love to show affection.

The aim of flattery is to soothe and encourage us by assuming us of the truth of an opinion we have already formed about ourselves.
Edith Stillwell

A little flattery will support a man through great fatigue.
James Monroe

The human is indissolubly linked with imitation: a human being only becomes human at all by imitating other human beings.
Theodor Adomo