By April Terry (personal blog http://faithwarming.blogspot.com)

I was sitting in the waiting room of my dentist’s office when I got a call from my mother. Her voice shook a little as she shared with me the sad news that my Uncle Darrell had just passed away. Uncle Darrell and Aunt Louie had been good me when I was a young nineteen year old woman living alone in a big city. Being my closest relatives, they invited me for dinner on occasion and treated me with tender loving care as only family can. I couldn’t help the tears that formed as I tried to console my mom and finished my conversation and as I felt the tears start to choke me, the nurse opened the door and called my name. What timing! I tried to calm myself, but I looked up at the girl with tears. Then, she did the unthinkable. She asked me if I was alright. That started the flood and I gulped back the tears trying to explain that I had just learned of my uncle’s death.

She asked me if I still wanted to go in, and I assured her I was fine, that it was just the timing. They left me waiting a bit longer than usual, I think, probably because they wanted to give me a little time. Time helped and the examination went forward with the young dentist, as gently as possible, telling me that I would need a root canal. The poor guy must’ve been bracing himself for another breakdown, but he was likely relieved to know that I had gotten myself together by that time. The next day, another dentist, another chair, and I was pain-free with a root canal under my belt. Then, I booked a flight for the day after Christmas to attend my uncle’s funeral.

When I returned, it was mid-day and I dropped my bag on the floor of our entry with tired relief. Then, my husband picked up the mail and there was a card from the dentist’s office. So, I sat down on the couch and opened it, to find a beautiful sympathy card signed by every person in my dentist’s office. Tears sprang to my eyes again as I read each person’s special note and I realized how truly thoughtful they had been. My long-time dental hygienist, Lois, signed it, too. She had been the same hygienist for both my parents when they lived here, and she knew our family well. She knew me well enough to say that she would be praying for me. How wonderful! That card was one of the most thoughtful things that anyone has done for me in a long time.

Last week, I had to return to my dentist’s office again to have the temporary filling removed and replaced with a permanent. I felt a little embarrassment, but I wanted to thank the dentist and everyone in the office for their thoughtfulness. I kept trying to summon the courage, and finally after I was out of the chair, I caught the dentist and thanked him for the card. I told him how thoughtful it was and that I knew that they didn’t have to do that, and I asked him to thank everyone in his office for their kindness.

It felt strange being on the receiving end of what we call an Ordinary Attempt (OA) here in DE land, but it was nice to be reminded how it feels. I felt cared for, valued. It’s almost as if it transformed my dentist’s office into an extended family. It changed something for me there and it was all because they took that extra step, a step that they didn’t have to take, to show me a kindness. Maybe that’s why I can now look at it as the sweetest root canal I’ve ever had.