An Early Present

I, as a rule am very frightened of dentists. Well, I am very frightened of everything actually, but in particular, of the dentist. I have never known a time at a dentist without pain and fear. Sharp needles, scary sounding drills, sharp grinding pain, the smell of smoke, nausea and bad reactions from laughing gas, it's been a nightmare.
As a result of years of neglecting to GO to the dentist, I had a tooth break into 3 pieces just weeks before the winter holiday. After my initial evaluation, I shuddered to think of the dentists words.

"You need a root canal. The tooth is quite salvageable, but you will need a root canal for the pain you are experiencing."

I could have cried there on the spot. I made an appointment to have it done.

In an effort to make light of my situation I joked with my 11 year old daughter later that day. "Well, if school is closed because of snow, you can go with me and hold my hand!" and I chuckled. Quite seriously, she said "I would do that! I would do that mom!"

Later that week, she called me, to remind me, that if she didn't have school, she could be there. I smiled thinking she was so sweet for offering. It would be an hour, maybe several, of work and she'd never sit there that long. She couldn't be serious.

As it happened both my children were out of school due to the icy road conditions the day I had to go in. I had asked my ex to drive me in and he agreed, taking not only our two, but a friends child too as she was out of school and he had offered to watch her. I was miserable knowing that with 3 children to watch, he would not be able to sit with me, and so I did not ask it of him.

As a precaution the morning of the procedure I took a double dose of a sedative to keep myself calm and keep from having one of my inevitable panic attacks that could injure myself or others by flinging myself from the chair. In the lobby of the dentists office I didn't realize until I felt my daughters hand on my shoulder and her voice in my ear, "Mom it's time to go" that she really WAS serious!

My daughter sat with me the whole time, she held my hand, she guided me back and forth to the bathroom when I had to go. She did everything that I as a mother would want to do to make someone else feel comfortable in a frightening situation. I never felt the pain of the novocaine needle, I never had to listen to the drill. I wasn't alone with my fear. I remember that soft little hand holding mine and my little girls voice saying, "It will be ok Mom" and I realized, my little girl wasn't so little anymore. In the past 11 years she had grown from a tiny infant into the caring, patient, and compassionate person I hoped she would become. I have never gotten a better present!