This week I was lucky enough to have Monday off for President's Day (Bank Holidays rule!!) and instead of using the day to be happy and lazy, taking naps and binging Netflix, I decided to adult. I went to the grocery store, did laundry and a deep-clean on my kitchen, and I also went to the eye doctor and the dentist.
I'm one of the lucky few that isn't bothered by going to the dentist, maybe it's because I'm lucky enough to never have had a cavity. (Excuse me while I pat myself on the back!) I have been seeing this dentist since I moved to Grand Rapids and am so happy with him. This time, in additional to my regular six-month cleaning, I left with a handful of referrals. One for an oral surgeon to talk about getting my three remaining wisdom teeth removed, one for an orthodontist to look into Invisalign and another to a specialist to see about doing an internal whitening of one of my front teeth that was damaged as a kid by taking a soccer ball right to the face.
This probably seems like a really weird blog post, but the experience left me feeling grounded, and I'll tell you why...
Growing up, I was one of the kids who had majorly crooked teeth. There was no way you couldn't notice it when I was talking or smiling, and I hated it. It's no surprise that I was made fun of for it during elementary school and even at times after that. I was very self conscious about my teeth. It was such a catch 22 - If you had crooked teeth, you were made fun of, but if you had braces you were also made fun of. Kids are relentless!
I can remember having a conversation with my husband prior to us getting married where we were talking about budgeting for me to get braces or Invisalign to straighten my teeth before we got married, and that I also wanted to get a professional teeth whitening because I was adamant that I did not want to get married with crooked, Diet Coke-stained teeth. NO WAY would I want to look at those photos for years and years and see my teeth. I was sure that was all I would notice.
Well, life happened and then more life happened after that. My priorities shifted. Medical bills came up. Wedding costs piled up, and it didn't happen.
Looking back at my wedding photos, my smile is one of the main things I see, but not because of my teeth, but because of my happiness. It honestly seems silly that I was so worried about it, because I highly doubt anyone was looking at (or judging) my teeth. They saw what I see every time I look at my wedding pictures (which is A LOT) - a happy bride.
I might get my teeth whitened. I might decide to spring for Invisalign. But I also might not. That's money that could go towards life, making my house my own, adventures and travel, or a million other things.
As we grow up and mature, we often have a change in perspective. We realize what things matter and what things don't. Someone's personality is way more important than their looks. It's just like they say, happiness lies in perspective. Having a good life and good friends that make me happy is a hell of a lot more important than anything involving my teeth.