Thanksgiving 2016

This Thanksgiving I am counting my blessings.  From my families to my office and the friends that I keep.  I am humbled daily.  I am a person filled with gratitude.  But this November has been very difficult for almost everyone around me, myself included.  This month’s upset results of the election, the pressure to be merry because of the holiday season, and the financial stress that most people feel, make it hard to be “happy”.   Not to mention, some hearts were broken and my lip got a lopsided injection from my son's head.  Within two weeks, I had five patients with fractured teeth.  It’s that time of the year when I’m doing more “witchcraft” than any other season.  (I was at a seminar and the speaker considered root canal therapy to be witchcraft.  It then became a joke amongst dentists.)

Even as our president was giving a speech about the sun shining again after Hillary's loss, Joe Biden was looking upward for the sun.  It’s hard to find that silver lining.  Canadian website for residency crashed after the U.S. election.  But since they need healthcare providers, I was told I had a good chance of getting in almost immediately.  I guess that could be good news for me.  But I have no interest in moving north.  I hear their winters get below zero Fahrenheit.  I get cold at 60 degrees ergo, that’s not a viable option for me.  I can only stand the cold temporarily.  Freezing to death is not appealing.   Maybe I need to research more on hypothermia.

I’ve always thought to be kind to my fellow human beings.  We’re supposed to help one another.  Every year I volunteer or give to charity.  And every year I get something back in one form or another.  We had a sedation patient getting ready to go home.  We were giving his mom instructions on how to take care of him.  Then suddenly behind me, came a groggy voice, “See, I told you they like me here.”  We all turned to the patient and in an echo, my whole office replied, “Of course.”  Truly, he is a nice person, just misunderstood.  We gave him time and space to get to know and respond to us.  Sometimes he is not responsive.  But that was the effects of his medications, not him.  I think people forget their human courtesy to each other.   Maybe they just need one person to extend it to them first.

This month, I witnessed young love.  It’s amazing to see how eyes can communicate so passionately.  Unfortunately, I think I was standing in the middle of them.  A patient gave birth to her baby boy.  Another patient completed his cancer therapy.  This weekend, one will get married.  So much more happiness than sadness.  Today, I will be focusing on my blessings.  I hope you will enjoy yours.  Thank you for giving me plenty of stories to be happy about.  Have a great Thanksgiving break with your families and friends.

Cheers!

"Hot" Lip
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