in favor of gratuitous praise

When you do a job well, do you crave a little bit of praise? Sure you do.

How about if it's a job you're supposed to do every day/week etc. as part of your normal routine? Maybe something as simple as washing the dishes after supper, or tossing in a couple loads of laundry? 

Do you think you deserve an Atta Boy! for doing your normal, everyday chores?

Forget deserve -- do you WANT an Atta Boy! for slapping butter on your hubby's toast in the morning? Or for hauling the fat, nasty trash out on Tuesday night?

I do! I want me some gratuitous praise! Just because I'm so terrific. 

I want praise heaped on my head just for getting up in the morning, getting dressed, leaving a dollop of milk in the jug for somebody else, and turning up at work on time.

I want DONUTS for turning up at work on time. 

Whoever thinks you should only be praised for going above and beyond must have a very puritanical work ethic. As a lazy so and so, I'd just as soon let the dishes pile up in the sink and let you eat cereal for dinner as go to any trouble if you're not going to take any notice of it anyway. 

If it's a matter of deserving, let's take it a step farther. Do you accept gifts for your birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, your wedding anniversary? 

What did you do to DESERVE any of these gifts? 

Nothing. You got born. Big deal. You had a baby. Aren't you special! You lived to see another December. Woot! 

Yet you persist in accepting, and hopefully giving, gifts on such occasions, don't you?

Praise is the same. Sure, you'll give praise in obvious situations, like if I just jumped into the duck pond to save your kid from drowning; or discovered an error in your favor on your tax return (assuming I'm not the accountant you're paying to do so); or wrested the controls of the airplane from the terrorist's hands and safely landed it, though I've never flown a plane.

Yeah, you'll praise me then. 

But what about when I remember to pick up your shirt from the cleaners? Or buy you a new toothbrush before you ask? Or bake you a nice cake on your birthday -- and I didn't forget the date? 

Or just picked up the house so it's pleasant to come home to. 

I'll give you some if you give me some! 

So hit up the donut store...I'll be in to work in the morning. And I like peach roses if you're surprising me with flowers. 

Prepare ye some gratuitous praise . . . that is, if you want me to keep on ironing your clothes. Oh, wait, I don't iron. You choose the chore you want me to continue. All it takes is a smile, a thanks! and a thumbs up. Praise for praise!