Crentist, My Dentist

 

I love The Office.

Over the last couple years, I’ve started dreading my dentist appointment every 6 months. It’s not that I’m afraid of the dentist, like some people, I’m just afraid of her bad news.

And the resulting bill.

As a kid I always took a lot of pride in not having any cavities, despite the tons of candy I ate. (I’ve always been a candy fiend.) When I became a teen, I had the normal amount of cavities from time to time, but I never really thought it was an issue. I brushed, I didn’t floss, but for the most part my teeth were fine. My freshman year of college I was diagnosed with TMJ, and fitted for a nightguard to wear while I sleep, because I grind my teeth pretty badly.

After college life was so up and down and I was so broke (weren’t we all…) that I went about 2 years without going to the dentist. Big mistake. I was brushing, but flossing was a joke, and I hardly ever wore my nightguard. I eventually started having tooth pain and reluctantly made my way to the dentist. Because of that time lost, I have had to get 3 crowns, several fillings, and have even had a few chipped teeth from grinding in my sleep in the last 2 years. After the crowns, I needed to get a new nightguard (because the imprint of my teeth had changed), but because I was spending so much on dental work, I didn’t want to shell out another $500 on a new night guard. So I continued to grind my teeth, need more dental work, pay for more dental work, and not buy a nightguard. It’s been a cycle. About a year ago I started using prescription toothpaste, bought a sonic care toothbrush, started wearing my nightguard more, and flossing more often (admittedly, not daily).

Back in June I went to the dentist and got a clean bill of dental health, so I assumed I was good to go and this was all finally behind me. So when the time came for my appointment last week, I was very surprised when the dentist told me there was a tooth that might have to have a crown put on it. I wasn’t in any pain, I had been taking better care of my teeth, but part of me started thinking “great…here we go again.” Every crown is about $500 with insurance, and a $500 surprise is not a fun one. (During the time I was having all this dental work done, I joked that I didn’t want the most expensive thing I owned to be in my mouth.)

All of that dental history is to explain what I adore today. When I got to the dentist and she started working, she discovered that I didn’t need a crown, just a filling! Woo hoo! That’s a huge weight off my shoulders. As backwards as it may sound, today I’m grateful for the pleasant surprise of not having to spend tons of unexpected money on dental work. (More camera money!) I was really glad that I didn’t have to waste money fixing another tooth, especially after the frustration over the last few years and the things I’ve done to improve my dental habits. Sometimes being scared about something and then having it end up being nothing to fear makes you realize how blessed you were in the first place.

So,what silly things are you grateful for?

Have something you adore? Leave a comment below or email it to adoretoday at gmail dot com.

Love146

Yesterday I heard about an amazing charity I just had to share with you.

There has been a big push in Dallas with the lead up to the Superbowl in February (yay!) to be proactive about standing up to Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. Historically when a major sporting event comes to a town, there is a large spike in both of these areas that tend to stick around after the event ends.

One of the organizations that is being proactive in this area is a group called Love146. They are a group of people who were motivated by the problems they saw with child sex trafficking in South Asia, the US, and Europe. Since 2002 they have been working at supporting local groups and doing everything they can to free, rehabilitate, and restore girls who are victims of this unimaginable crime.

I’m so amazed at what they have done and their advocacy for these girls. You can learn more about them and check out their website here. I know it’s hard, especially around this time of year, to choose which charity to give to. There are so many people asking for your money, for all kinds of amazing causes. I think we all have to choose to give to a charity that motivates us. I just know that for girl 146 and all the other children she represents, out there somewhere, I want to be able to tell them I helped fight for them. What are you fighting for?

Have something you adore? Leave a comment below or email it to adoretoday at gmail dot com.

Giving Thanks

Today has been a day of deep thinking for me. I'm still trying to process and put into words what's going on in my head, so sorry if some of this doesn't make sense. I had a day full of things I adore: spending time with family, cooking and eating good food, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, playing board games and laughing until we cried, napping, not having to leave the house when the temperature has plummeted 40 degrees in the last 24 hours, and some time to myself relaxing after 3 long days of cooking. 


Of course, at Thanksgiving most of us try to stop and think about things we're thankful for, but I spent a lot of time today doing some deep thinking about living a life of thankfulness.


When I started my blog, my purpose was to create a space for me to be intentional about focusing on the good things in my life. I've been so overwhelmed in the last few months by the negativity that comes from everyone all the time. It's been so amazing just in the last few weeks to see how much my outlook on life has changed when I've been intentional about looking around throughout the day and thinking to myself "will this thing rank high enough on my list to be the thing I adore most today?" I'm spending my day looking for the good, the best, the things I adore about every day, rather than remembering something crappy that happened so I can go home and vent about it.


I'm realizing more and more that every day is going to have the things we don't like. It's a guarantee. If can assume that from now until I die there are going to be good and bad things every single day, then I can make a choice. I'm going to throw the bad things out the window. And more than that, I'm going to pursue thankfulness. 


I'm thankful that I have a family who loves me.
I'm thankful for my amazing roommates.
I'm thankful for a job I love where I can change lives and make kids think and learn and grow.
I'm thankful that tonight when I go to sleep tonight, I will be warm, safe, and have a roof over my head.
I'm thankful that the Creator of this universe loves tiny, insignificant me.


I know these all sound cliche, but sometimes those obvious things take on new meaning all of a sudden. As I'm writing this, Sarah McLachlan's Prayer of St. Francis came on my pandora station. Probably one of my favorite things ever, it seems such perfect timing, so I'll end with those words:



Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; 
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.


Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.

Have something you adore? Leave a comment, or email adoretoday at gmail dot com.