My favorite is when the words are kind, “your children are beautiful.” This rings true because, like most parents, my children are beauty to me. I can’t hear enough about their loveliness.
On many occasions, the remarks are odd, “do you bleach her ends?” — this question was asked about my toddler’s hair when she was two years old. Or “their coloring is exquisite — like perfect caramel.” Not once has someone shared their feelings upon beholding my chalky paleness, so, when confronted with it, I find this sort of assertion strange.