I had dental surgery today, which turned out to be pretty intense–both to my mouth and my finances. But there was something that made up for it: I was in good hands.
Even though it was my first time with this endodontist, I just knew it. It started yesterday, when I spoke with a new dentist and she asked how I was, and I told her the truth. “I’m scared,” I said. She (very kindly) said, “There’s no reason to be scared.” She then went on to tell me all the ways she and the endodontist could help me, and suddenly, a situation that I’d been told was all but hopeless, opened up–and I could breathe again.
What it came down to was trust.
I trusted my instincts a few days ago, when I got up–novocaine-soaked Q-Tip in mouth–and walked away from my original dentist. You see, this dentist–who had recommended the procedure he was about to do–instilled no trust when he shrugged, sighed, and said, “Let’s hope this works.” After a few minutes of discussion, I knew in my gut that this was not the man who should do this–or any–procedure on me.
There was time when I wouldn’t have done that. Instead of abandoning that dental office, I’d have abandoned myself, for the sake of not making waves.
So when I got in touch with this new dentist, and immediately felt safe with her, I knew I’d chosen well this time.
And this morning, in the office of the endodontist she referred me to, I felt safe as well. He took time to explain everything to me and answered my questions. He also seemed genuinely confident that he could help me. Even though it cost much more than I was expecting, I knew I was getting good value. He even found a way to save a tooth that I’d been told was most likely a goner, which was worth its weight in gold. If that wasn’t confirmation enough, he told me that the other dentist’s plan of treatment would have done no good.
My point in telling this story isn’t to garner sympathy, but to share how trusting myself led me to others who were trustworthy.
How often do we place our trust in people despite all evidence that we shouldn’t? How often do we just “go along,” only to pay for it later? And there is always a price when we go against what we know is true.
And the truth is, we need to know we’re in good hands–especially when they’re ours.
image via Ibsbokeh