Diane Mierzwik

January 10, 2010

While on vacation, I read through an old journal and found pages and pages of lists of things I was grateful for. You may have been on the same kick as me, at the same time, as it was an Oprah thing.

Oprah had done a show exploring what  the happiest people do that the rest of us numbskulls don’t do. One major thing was that they spend their time appreciating each day. Oprah then suggested that one way to get yourself into the habit of looking for things to appreciate is to write down five things at the end of each day that you were grateful for.  One of my favorite lists from this year was this:

1. Bill’s levelheadedness

2. Wes’s good mood

3. Birds feeding in the planter

4. Coffee and creamer

5. Breathing

I especially liked this list because obviously Bill had somehow helped me to avoid catastrophe, again; Wes had made my mood bright or maybe even brighter, and the rest of the list was simple things that to this day make me happy. Breathing really makes me happy because it means I’m still here, or not throwing such a fit that I think holding my breath will help me win my argument.

Three years later, I find things to appreciate without really trying. This week the morning I had to leave very early for a business trip, I snuck into my 17 year old’s bedroom to kiss him goodye while he slept, he is sweetest when he is asleep, and found our dog keeping guard in his room, more like sleeping next to my son, but I felt better leaving knowing Rocko was on the case.

While on vacation last week, when “we” realized “someone” had not packed my puzzle ( I complete a puzzle every Christmas trip), my husband went to the local store and bought me another puzzle, barely grumbling about how it was really “someone” else’s fault for not putting it with the rest of the luggage.

So, this week, when I got a toothache, I wondered: what is the bright side of this?

The most obvious is how it has expanded my experiential realm. I have never had a toothache before, which has made me quite curious when someone I know gets a toothache, but for some unknown reason, that someone ends up thinking I’m being judgmental. All I do is ask questions:

When was the last time you were at the dentist? (I go every six months and wonder if that is why I’ve never had a toothache.)

Do you floss regularly? (I floss at least four times a week, about a month before I have to go to the dentist, as if I’m going to fool him!)

When was the last time you brushed your teeth? (I don’t actually ask this one out loud, but I think it and then look closely and intently at the person’s teeth while he/she is talking.)

Finally: What were you eating when it started to hurt?

I was eating my favorite cereal, Raisin Nut Bran, and one of those nut covered raisins got stuck in my back teeth, which I yanked out with my extra long fingernails (extra long because I haven’t been to see my nail specialist lately) then ouch!

So, you see, I now know that having a toothache can have absolutely nothing with one’s hygiene habits, at least the standard of hygiene habits, my own habits.

What a bright side.

The other thing I am wondering is if it’s going away any time soon or do I need to go see my great dentist. (I started flossing just in case.) I asked my husband, who’s had a toothache before.

“I just waited until my next appointment and chewed all my food on the other side of my mouth,” he said. “I think I lost some weight, actually.”

Well, who could ask for more? My newest diet scheme – a toothache. I’ll let you know how much I lose. Maybe I can market it and make millions!

This week I will only chew on the right side of my mouth.