We didn't chase compliments.

We chased the nod.

A slight dip of the head.

A quiet thumbs up.

That was enough.

It always meant more than words.

Years passed.

Life moved on.

Without really noticing when it happened, you found yourself standing where they once stood.

Looking out instead of looking up.

You catch yourself giving the same quiet nod.

The same subtle thumbs up.

No speech.

No fanfare.

Just enough to let someone know they earned it.

I've spent more years without them than I ever spent learning from them.

Yet somehow...

I still wonder if I'd earn the nod.