Today at work, it was a normal day.  I went to Santa Barbara and saw 7 patients.  Lupita and I had lunch at Sushi Teri and I was able to leave the office by 4:40pm, which was great considering my Mom and Dad were watching Isaac and they needed to leave by 6pm for a Christmas party.  My day went well, all my patients showed up and I enjoyed seeing a couple of people I have been taking care of for a little more than 6 years now.

One in particular made me smile for most of the day today.  He is an older gentleman with severe Parkinson’s Disease.  He rides a bike everywhere he wants to go because he cannot drive.  (Trust me, I have seen him walk and wonder how he is able to stay on a bike, not to mention he is nearly blind!)  He is usually down on life because physically he is a wreck, but mentally he is sharp.  He was beaming as soon as he walked in the door and exclaimed to the front office person how much he loves his new teeth!  The dentist I work for made him a complete lower denture supported by dental implants and a new upper partial denture.  He was thrilled that he could eat anything he wanted!  That is one of the best aspects of my job.  It doesn’t seem like a job because I am doing something I love and it makes me happy to see the positive impact we have on someone’s health and happiness. 

I love happy days.  Then I get to go home and experience the best part of my day: seeing the smile on Isaac’s face as I walk in the door.  Sigh.