Those that have been following me on Google’s Answer to Facebook will have learned that I got the wonderful opportunity to experience the adventure of a root canal last Tuesday.
But even if you haven’t, I’ll explain that I was dreading Thanksgiving a little bit because the endodontist only put a temporary filling in (as they do) and it’ll be next Monday before the dentist can put something permanent in– probably an alloy. The silver lining, however, is next Monday is well within the 30 day deadline they set.
Long story short, I didn’t ruin the temp filling that I know of, and dinner at my folks (because Cimmy’s parents couldn’t do it this year… they deserve a break) was good, overall. But… while stuck trying to decide whether my face or my back hurt more, I forgot to thank my mother for the lovely dinner-feast she worked hard on. (According to my father, being an only child, she doesn’t really do the “goes without saying” stuff well that we with siblings tend to do.) So… y’know, bit of family drama and exit with hurt feelings. Not totally bad, though, see… we left before Boy could have a meltdown, and I don’t mean that facetiously. We left at exactly the perfect time for him (even if it wasn’t perfect for the rest of us).
My darling wife came up with the perfect solution: a thank you card. So soon after we got home, I wrote something out about what we were thankful for
- Thanksgiving dinner
- Our house (we would have never made the downpayment without my folks’ help)
- Food at the end of the month when we started scraping the cupboards.
Anyways, although it might be a temptation to wallow and commiserate in family drama that happens at Thanksgiving, I wanted to end on a note keeping with the spirit of the occasion. Not to mention saying I really have noticed that hand-written letters and thank-you notes DO make a difference. They really, really do! They’ve made a difference with friends, family, and virtual strangers. (Remember the postal bliss thing? Can’t remember if I blogged about that.)
Do be a big favor, and consider sending something like that to someone you love. Or better yet, someone you hate or are even indifferent to. See what happens. I’ll let you know how our results turn out… probably as soon as tomorrow.
the tao of jaklumen 
November 24, 2011 at 21:19
Good gracious I need to remember I have a Google+ account.
I did the majority of the cooking for this Thanksgiving. The majority of the people that came today expressed thanks and everyone had a favorite dish. While I was doing the cooking and the baking I was happy, humming and singing along with the radio. I knew I was doing something special for the people that I love….and I’d really like to think that I would still feel this way had no one expressed thanks or commented on how much they liked certain dishes.
I think the hand written card will go a long way towards helping your mom’s hurt feelings.
I hope you get your permanent cap and it works for you. I go to the dentist on Monday for two fillings that have eroded with age so now I have two new cavities growing around/near the old silver filling. I think I still have a temporary crown on one of my several root canals.
LikeLike
November 24, 2011 at 22:28
Good gracious I need to remember I have a Google+ account.
I added you. My real name starts with a J if that helps.
I think the hand written card will go a long way towards helping your mom’s hurt feelings.
My father seems to think so.
I hope you get your permanent cap and it works for you.
It should.
I go to the dentist on Monday for two fillings that have eroded with age so now I have two new cavities growing around/near the old silver filling.
The root canal came about after finding the nerve was inflamed, when the dentist removed a filling to get at a cavity underneath it. He froze up a Q-Tip to test things… ARRGHGHHRHGHGHGHG I know nerve pain when I feel it.
I think I still have a temporary crown on one of my several root canals.
I’m pretty sure it is much smaller than a crown. I don’t have any crowns yet, thankfully. I have a BIG honkin’ filling after I broke a tooth (different tooth, by the way, I think…), but no crowns.
LikeLike
November 25, 2011 at 06:21
I’ve had 4 root canals? ::rolls eyes:: Ugh. The crowns’ price hurt more than the root canals (physical pain). Yikes.
I keep a gratitude journal, it’s nice. I blog as catharsis. I also agree that hand-written thank yous are appreciated.
LikeLike
November 25, 2011 at 18:49
Oh, the pain of a parent who feels her work and sacrifice were slighted by her children…. 😀
Normally, after being a guest at someone’s home I’ll send them a little card or note thanking them for the wonderful time (even if it wasn’t, lol). It does go a long ways towards healing whatever hurt feelings or snarky remarks took place during dinner, though after years of being an unappreciated hostess myself, I just think people ought to be thanked for their efforts.
I hope you are feeling better now. Unless it’s a serious toothache, I try to avoid going to the dentist before a major eating holiday. Most of us only get to eat things like pumpkin pie and stuffing at certain times of the year, so I don’t want anything to mess that up, lol.
LikeLike
November 26, 2011 at 11:57
A thank you note is precisely what we did,
LikeLike