Landon is coming home this weekend for a very brief, but highly anticipated visit. Monday morning he is getting teeth!

Odd as that sounds, it is his reality.

Almost exactly ten years ago, in a freak accident involving a slide and soccer cleats, he lost two front teeth. The whole thing was tragic and unbelievable. Since then, he has been through sooo many dentist visits, root canals, surgeries, gum grafts, CT scans, more surgeries, and countless retainers of all different sizes and materials. His retainers have been choked on, stepped on, lost, thrown up, flushed down the toilet, cracked, dropped in a wave pool, and thrown away.

Ten years.

It’s a long time. And now, on Monday, Landon is getting his almost final teeth…at least teeth that aren’t attached to a retainer. He has FINALLY reached the end of a very long and sometimes humiliating journey.

But is it really the end?

I’m not so sure. I think the events in our lives are not as linear as we would like to believe, but much more circular in nature. While certain aspects do end, most of the things just continue on in a slightly altered way.

Two of Landon’s front teeth will always be fake. His decade of retainers and all the fun that those bring is ending, that is true. However, the implants may come loose, or they might chip and need to be fixed or replaced. Having those fake teeth will always be part of his life, even if it isn’t the same way it once was. See the circle?

As I reflect on my own life, I remember being ecstatic when I graduated from college. I was never going to be in school again! No more essays, no more finals, no more group projects! Yes, that kind of schooling did officially end in 2000, but I have been somewhat surprised at how my education goes on. During the past 22 years, I have learned so much about parenting, ADHD, type 1 diabetes, cooking, cleaning, dogs, cats…a lot of things. My education continues every day. The circular nature of learning has blessed my life so much. I’m glad I wasn’t really done in 2000.

At this point in my life, the circles are becoming easier to see. It’s almost been three years since my dad died, and that was an ending. But his influence and presence in my life have gone on, albeit in a very different way. My relationship with my mom has changed and adjusted since his death. When dear friends move far away, I have had to adjust to something new. My friendship isn’t finished, but there are new challenges now that didn’t exist before. As my kids are growing up and leaving home, things change. But our relationship as mother and child isn’t done, it’s new…different, and full of possibilities.

Thinking about circumstances in a circular manner can be hard. Sometimes we just want stuff to be DONE! FORGOTTEN! OVER! But I think when we do this, we too quickly move on from the experiences that mold us into who we are meant to be. And in case you don’t know, we are meant to be amazing.

Done!

Let me help!

What’s Possible