How Losing All My Wisdom Teeth Made Me Wise
When one is sick, especially after a surgery all the frivolous items in one’s life become for the most part null and void. You realize that the greatest luxuries in life are a comfortable bed, pain medication and someone special to look after you. Everything else is simply...irrelevant.
Something I had hoped to avoid for my entire life happened. Surgery. Being put under and completely out of control. However, I faced it head on and I came out on the other side with a deeper view of life. Aside from allergic reactions as a child, giving birth, and occasional neck pain I’ve been lucky enough to avoid any major medical issues. Thank God! Unfortunately my procrastination of removing impacted wisdom teeth didn’t pay off and I suffered greatly for it. But through all the suffering, painful sleepless nights, not being able to eat, getting sick from antibiotics, feeling the absolute worst I’ve ever felt, the most uncomfortable and helpless I’ve ever felt, I learned something that perhaps made it all worth it.
My husband became my knight in shining armor. I seriously think I fell in love with him all over again. I had never needed him quite so much before and he came through for me completely. For three days he stuck by my side making sure I was taking my medications, and was as comfortable as I possibly could be under the circumstances. (Word to the wise for anyone younger than myself. If you are told at 20 you need your wisdom teeth out, don’t wait until you’re 40. Irregardless of your health you will not heal as quickly as you would have at 20.)
Three days after the surgery my husband had to go back to work and I was still feeling horrible. I cannot imagine how depressed and miserable I would have been had my parents not shown up. They drove 8 hours to stay with me. They kept me fed, picked up medications, got my groceries, brought me flowers, and sat on the couch for hours with me as we watched tv. My parents were completely selfless in their act. Their being here with me brought more comfort than any material luxury could have. It made me realize that I haven’t always been there for the special people in my life, and the power of simply “being there” was greater than all other things combined. The knowing that you are loved and cared for brings you to your knees with gratitude and humility.
Sometimes we put all our efforts into our jobs, status, and material items. They make us feel good in the moment but they won’t always be there and even if they are, they aren’t the one’s keeping you fed when you can’t feed yourself. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you can’t or shouldn’t have nice things, in fact, I’m all for it. I’m merely saying that your Mercedes or Tesla isn’t going to the grocery store for you or cooking you dinner. Having your closet shelves lined with Louis Vuitton and Chanel handbags might be great when your well, but they aren’t waking up at 2 a.m. to make sure you’re taking your pain medication.
I hope that this made you think and reevaluate your past actions and your future ones towards those people in your life who mean the most to you. I would be willing to bet that you could count more times where you’ve not shown up than when you did. Sometimes, making an appearance, even a brief one can mean the world to those you care for. You see, all the finest things in life can’t make up for people. People who love you and people who are there for you when you need them are the rarest form of luxury that money can never buy.