Tuesday, July 18, 2006

... time to smile ...



remember i told you about my tooth situation ... here ... well in the midst of all this chaos reigning in our lives, i went to see another specialist who also thought the nerve was cracked and my capped, front tooth needed to be pulled ...

i just thought - fine! i don't care! pull the silly thing ... i have had 44 years of problems with it and too much money put into it ... so get rid of it!!! it is not an important issue when compared to what else is going on at the moment ...

so with resignation to the fate of my tooth ... and maybe still just a little upset with the idea ... i went to staples to buy some photo paper ...

now i think that God has a wonderful way of making a person smile, even though everything around us says to frown frown frown ... and here is why i think that ... i had just gotten the news from the specialist that my front tooth needed to go, when lo' and behold, guess who served me at staples? a woman, in her late-20's, who had an absolutely engaging smile and warm disposition ... all that despite the fact her front tooth was GONE! i wanted to hug this sweet sales-rep who hadn't a clue why i was patting her shoulder and grinning ...

i chuckle as i write this ...

i wasn't laughing at the lady ... and most certainly God wasn't either ... just pointing me in the direction that my heart should go ... with a smile ...

p.s. the dentist will put a temporary bridge there the same day - that's the plan anyway!

25 comments:

Ginger said...

What a cute story, Saija! That was a cheery thought for my day. Hope your dental work goes well, and you're delighted with the results.

Jammie J. said...

I have always been amazed how something so small can cause such huge problems.

When do you go in? *big eyes*

Saija said...

ginger ... i'm just amazed how God personally sends these moments into our lives at just the right time ... singing "He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me i am His own ... " ...*grin*

jeanette ... i go in on the 31st ... yucky-pooh!

Terry said...

Ha Saija!! You said you have had trouble with that tooth for 44 years. Does that make you 43 and a half years old? I have no idea when a baby gets their first tooth!!!Or which one comes in first! Ha!
Isn't it something! How many people in the world could you have met with the same problem and God sends you to that person?!!
Hey!! What were you going to Staples for though Saija[although this time it DID pay off]?
We get our photo paper at Costco for under 30 dollars for 120 sheets of 8 by 10 glossy!! Love Terry

Maggie Ann said...

The temporary bridgework sounds really good to me, in spite of how charming and mature we could be without a front tooth...=) Your post is adorable and really quite true...why should our disposition depend on teeth...read into that vanity. Yet....oh boy. My husband is facing a similar situation. A tooth beside his front tooth that was worked on in the army many years ago...root canal no less, became abcessed last week. After a week on antibiotics he was supposed to see a dental surgeon. Alas, the man went on vacation...and now hubby is having twinges of pain in that tooth. He was told...maybe surgery could save the tooth but it would also weaken it ALOT. The alternative is an implant where they screw it into the bone. Hmmmm. He was quite discouraged about it the whole week. Hoping for good results for you dear friend and for my husband. That picture you posted is adorable!

Saija said...

terry ... *grin* ... well i was 8 when my tooth was knocked out by that mean ole boy with a yo/yo, so add that to 44 ... voilá you get 52! ... and we don't have a costco card, we don't buy enough or go to the city enough ... i had a $11.00 coupon for staples, so the kodak paper cost me $2 ... plus that's where i needed to be to meet this lady ... :o)

maggie ann ... i could have gone the implant route, but after all the years of STUFF, i figure i'll go with a bridge ... i have one of those on my back teeth and they are just fine! i've had a root canal on this tooth as well - maybe your hubbies tooth has a fracture like mine? hmmmm ... as long as it's presentable and isn't painful - only 2 criteria's i have!!! blessing to you!!!!

Unknown said...

hey that looks like my dear sweet son. He's only lost one tooth so far.

Ramblins of a middle-aged goddess said...

Well I would think that by now you would be saying, Well God I think I understand what you want me to do!! God has funny ways in which he tells us just what he wants us to do. I think it is great that you saw your answer so quickly!! I wish that when I prayed that my answer would just suddenly appear like that. You know if you had the time it would have been nice to share that with the sales lady...small witnessing maybe!! Great post...you will be fine i just know...Sandy

Catherine said...

There are no coincidences in life. :)

I hope your dental work goes well. I hate going to the dentist! I have some prior experience with missing teeth, though -- when I was four years old, my two front teeth were knocked out and the adult teeth didn't grow in til I was eight, so all of my early school photos show me with a gaping hole in my smile.

**hugs**

Saija said...

mrsd ... the gap on kids looks adorable!

Sandy ... the Lord gave me a grin through it all - i mean the day before i had heard of my sister-in-laws sudden passing, so i was in a downer type mood - and then this sweet young woman with the big toothless smile, made me smile too!

catherine ... i believe that too - there are no coincidences in life! ... and sounds like you had an interesting 4 years with no teeth! as a kid you must have thought they would never come in! voi voi! (hugs) backatcha

Fred said...

Yuck...it's bad enough going to the dentist to begin with. At least you'll get a bridge.

At least you won't be toofless.

Terry said...

Dear Saija..Tonight is prayer meeting and I will be thinking of you and Leo and your neice and brother in law.Not only will I be thinkig of you all, I will be praying for you all!!

I tried what you told me to do for my blog site and I got my sister to help over the phone but I still haven' got it. My sister was able to get it on her computer so I guess I will have to get Betty to come right over and help!!
Your directions were really good. Thanks so much!! Love Terry

Saija said...

fred ... ya, a bridge isn't bad ... but i haven't had a tooth pulled in decades! blah! you'd think they'd leave old people alone, eh!

terry ... i so appreciate prayer! thank you ... and i hope that Betty is able to paste the formula on your blog ... if you notice the words within the < > marks, you can put other type of wordings than what i had ... other bloggers have helped me out, just passing it along ... :o)

Anonymous said...

Saija, I can fully identify with you! I had to have my front tooth (#8) pulled in March so that I could have a titanium implant and it is still healing - I won't have my new tooth until September! So in the meantime I am wearing a plastic "flipper" tooth which I only wear when I go out. So we are "toofless" together!
Love, Maureen

Saija said...

maureen ... awww ... atleast the flipper will allow you to smile wide ... :o) ... after all the STUFF with my silly front tooth - i decided to go the bridge route, hoping ('cause one never knows!) that that is the easier route ... plus i think my plan pays for it ...

Debra said...

Wow! What a neat story! Well, except for the part that you have to have a tooth pulled... Prayers are coming your way for that... but isn't God good to do little things for us which so clearly show us He's right there and He cares?! Love it when that happens... :) Blessings, Debra

Anonymous said...

The indignities of growing older, eh? I am sorry!! My indignity is that my hair continues to leave at a fast pace (I think due to my high blood pressure meds...every woman I know on those meds has had the same thing happen)...at this stage of life, my last redeeming feature...oh well, my hubby says to begin investing in some hats...sounds better than a wig!! But it is not fun, is it? So glad our FATHER looks at the heart instead of the outside appearance!!

Terry said...

Dear Saija...You don't LOOK 52!!

Guess what Saija? You DID help me out with my new blog site. I did what you said but I just didn't know where on earth "My Manitoba Roots" had gone!
Well when I looked at my profile [I wanted to find out a little about myself! Ha!], there it was! It is listed as my other blog! So thank you so much!

I have met so many nice people through David Fisher Saija but if you ask me, he is a bad boy!! Complaining about no one commenting on his postings and yet how many times does he comment on OURS, eh?
Don't tell him I told you so though because I actually don't mind commenting at all.... Love Terry

Maiju said...

Hi!

My mom is missing her front tooth. She has a false tooth in that place but last week on a christian children's camp boys had goos time when my mom took it off and made funny faces with it! Maybe it taught to the boys that christianity isn't a dull thing. :)

Terry said...

Dear Siaja...That is a good attitude that Maiju's mom has. Make it into something funny!!

When Bernie and I used to motorcycle out west, the sun would tan my whole face accept where the sun glasses were. I will never forget one time when we went to Calgary. We always stopped on a Sunday to go to morning meeting at the Gospel Hall. I saw some little boys laughing at me!! Ha! When I saw why they were laughing I couldn't help smiling myself. With my tanned face and my white around the eyes, I looked a sight!! I said to the little boys.. " I don't blame you for laughing you guys. I look just like a raccoon don't I?!!"
With that we could all laugh and those little boys didn't have to feel guilty about it....Love Terry

Saija said...

debra ... i know, i couldn't believe the gentle joshing from God ... made me grin so wide and feel loved despite the day i was having! thanks for the prayer!

elizabeth ... :o( ... we all have our aging thing happening, don't we? i guess that is why the Lord said to cultivate the inner person, since the outer one won't last!

terry ... i'm glad it worked out, though i think that may have been more of bloggers doing ... and i try to only post flattering pictures of myself (ha!), no close up aging ones ... :o) ... blessings to you!

maiju ... that's funny! my mummu had only 1 tooth left when she died, but she still managed to eat her sardines and rye bread every day ... :o)

terry ... *chuckling* ... that racoon look is pretty popular at work these days - with the warm days we've been having ...

Terry said...

Dear Saija. I have tried posting a picture on my blog spot but again I can't figure it out!!! Love Terry

Saija said...

terry ... have you tried using the picture feature that blogspot offers? there are a number of ways to do it, i guess we just need to figure out which of them works for you!

Michael said...

Wow...

Sorry I've missed your smile and laughter.

I certainly missed them.

Take Care
Michael

Saija said...

michael ... thank you ... now for a real genuine smile, that wonderful baby pic you use is the best - and no teeth that i can see! :o)

(as i write this i still do have a full smile, no gaps ... and supposedly the dental work i'm getting will keep it that way?)