Kind Soul

April 7, 2012

Dear Clara,
The other day you were at school when things got a little rowdy in P.E.  Your face smashed into the back of another child's head and both of you started oozing blood.  I was called to the Nurses office to come and get you because your permanent front tooth was loose.  Aack!  I was freaked that you were going to loose it.  I immediately thought to call Bruce (my previous step-dad) to see if he could take a look at it.  He's not our dentist, but I was hoping he would be able to give me some reassurance that everything would be fine.  I called his office and he had just seen his last patient of the day and was about to head home, but he told us to come to the office anyway.

When we got there I was expecting for him to just glance at it and we would be done.  Nope.  His assistant took us back to an exam room where she had you sit in the chair and she clipped a spit apron to you.  Bruce came in after awhile, donned his mask and gloves, raised your chair,  tilted it back and then turned on the examination lights.  He rinsed your mouth of the excess blood, looked at the tooth from all angles and gently wiggled it.  He asked if the tooth had always been so crooked and stuck out so far.  Yep.  That was a good thing.  He then requested an x-ray from his assistant to make sure the nerves weren't damaged.

Bruce and I chatted in the hall while the assistant got to work.  It makes my heart hurt everytime we talk.  I miss him so much!

After we went back in the room he looked at the x-ray and said you should be A-Okay.  He then told his assistant to bring out the prize box and for you to pick one prize for yourself, and three that you thought your siblings would like.

I asked Bruce how much we owed him and he said not a penny.  I seriously love that man.  I was able to hold myself together until I got into the car and then I lost it.  I can't even think about him without getting all teary eyed.

I'm so grateful that he was my step-dad for 13 years.  I'm grateful that you didn't lose your permanent tooth and that all of your countless "mishaps" haven't resulted in anything too serious.  Blessed beyond belief.

Love, Mama

P.S.  The boy that you smacked into ended up getting stitches because your tooth cut him so deep in the back of the head.