At my last dental visit, the gal that scraped the tarter and gunk from my teeth advised me to get a waterflosser – aka – a WaterPik. I value good oral hygiene so I went straight to Bed Bath and Beyond and picked out the best WaterPik system I could afford.
I took it home and stuck it in my closet because 1) life was busy, 2) it seemed complicated and 3) I wasn’t so sure about the whole “it’s time for a WaterPik” thing.
Yesterday, I pulled it out of my closest and I had every intention of filling the reservoir with water and plugging it in so that it could “pik” my teeth.
And here it sits…
Why?
Hmm… Well, the only other person on the planet I know who used a WaterPik was my 98-year-old grandfather who recently died ~ and I just tossed his water flosser in the trash!
As a child, my teeth were very crooked and dull and I was embarrassed to smile. And my bottom jaw stuck out. Way out. I couldn’t even eat a sandwich.
Eventually, I got braces and had extensive oral surgery to reconstruct my jaws and fix my bite.
I came through the whole dilemma with a smile and straight teeth. For years, every time I went to the dentist, the comment was, “Wow! You have a great bite and amazing teeth!”
So, was it me turning 50 that caused my teeth to require a WaterPik? My husband is a year older and he wasn’t advised to get a WaterPik. (Wait, he was advised to get a Sonic Care toothbrush. So there. Ha!)
What happened to the free toothbrush and dental floss? I used to walk out of the dentist’s office with a little dental goodie bag and I was good to go for another six months.
When my blondish hair became less blonde and more, ahem, silver, my wonderful stylist helped me become blondish again.
Not me – but isn’t she cute?
When my arms became too short. I mean when my 20/20 visin started to deteriorate, I bought my first pair of readers to give me a little boost. Then I bought a stronger power. And stronger. And then I bought a lot of readers and stashed them all over my house so that at any spot in my home, I was no more than five steps away from 20/20 vision. Eventually, it became impossible to rely only on readers so I bit the bullet and got glasses. Then I got contacts when it became clear (no pun intended) that this was my new way of life.
I come from a long line of silver haired, glasses wearing women so I was prepared for the eyes and hair but I was not prepared for a WaterPik. Again, the only person I knew who used a WaterPik was my elderly grandfather.
There are changes that age brings about and then there are choices age brings about. More and more, I find myself saying, “I’m fifty years old. I am not doing that anymore!”
For instance, I’m getting out of the all night lock-in chaperone line.
I’m also not in the furniture moving business anymore. I don’t remember my fifty-year-old parents hauling my furniture up three flights of stairs. (In reality, my forty-year-old knee injury kind of dictated that one.)
I’m also not eating a pint of ice cream before bed.
And I’m not apologizing for not liking food that still has eyeballs. Or mushrooms. Or
olives. And if you try to trick me into eating them, I’ll spit them out like a toddler! Really, I will! And I won’t feel bad about it.
I am going to try to listen more. Pray more. Love more. Laugh more.
They say with age comes wisdom – not just a WaterPik tooth flosser! I believe that is true. I believe I’m a little wiser than I was a few decades ago.
But I know I’m not as wise as I will be a few decades from now.
I spent a lot of time with my 98-year-old grandfather before he died and I loved his wisdom. Maybe, someday, my grand-kiddos will listen to me – and then when I’m gone, they can toss my WaterPik in the trash.
Blessed are those who find wisdom,
Those who gain understanding. Proverbs 3:13
~~~~~~~
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
I guess I will be wise – and get the WaterPik out of the box, fill it up and use it – like a wise woman who wants to have her own teeth when she is 98 years old.
All kidding aside, I know the wisdom I need most in this life can only be found in the Lord and in His Word.
Are there changes you need to make in your life to become wiser? Do you need to read and study God’s Word more? Do you need to surround yourself with wise people that can help you grow in God’s wisdom?