One of the greatest compliments in life

I've come to the conclusion that one of the greatest compliments in life is being trusted to watch someone else's child.
Choosing who you make responsible for your child's well being, be it for thirty minutes or days at a time, is an arduous mental activity. There is a lot of weighing and measuring of the options and humming and haaing over whether it's worth even leaving the little rugrats. So once you actually decide to relinquish sole proprietary control, it can be very daunting to figure out who you trust to watch your child.
I've had people, within minutes of meeting me, offer to watch my boys. Not a chance in hell! If I don't know you from Adam (or more likely Eve), you're not watching my kids. The offer may be appreciated as a kindness received, but that doesn't mean I'm taking you up on it. Give me a chance to get to know you, then I'll reassess. Who knows, you might make the cut after all.
Now that I've been a mommy for a couple of years, I'm a little bit more relaxed in acknowledging that there are times that I just can't take my kids with me (or more relaxed in admitting there are times I just don't want to take them with me). This means that someone is going to have to watch them. My list is pretty short. And anyone new who is added is added with some trepidation. Not because they won't do a good job, but simply because it's not ME. I may not do the best job, but they're my little munchkins to screw up not anyone else's (well, okay other than dear hubby).
In return, I think it is a tremendous compliment when others bestow their trust in me to watch their child. I think it is one of the greatest testimonies to my character that someone thinks I am capable enough to guard their most precious and dear accoutrement.
One of my friends a while back was having a bit of a rough day and wasn't feeling very loved by the world. I reminded her that if she were truly such a bad person, she would not resemble Old Mother Hubbard (not the part about the bare cupboards but the part with all the kids). My friend often has a house full of kiddies because just about everyone else I know who has kids picks her as their first choice in babysitter.
Compliments that plump your vanity are fleeting, but compliments about who you are at the depths of your character are far more lasting, thus far more valuable.