A couple weekend happenings got me to thinking…

Number one was a high school reunion that I attended. It was not my own reunion and I’ll spare the details of how long it has been since graduation. What I noticed was a universal theme. The groups of people visiting the loudest, cutting up, and generally enjoying each other the most were all members of one team or another. Interestingly, the fun was not limited to the athletes or the band members, but truly encompassed every group that had spent a good deal of time together, while in high school, working towards a common goal. These were lifetime bonds.

The second thing that got me thinking was an old bag that my mother brought up to Llano. That bag was full of accumulated “stuff” from the first six or so years of my life. As with most of us, there are very few events that I can really describe from those years. I recognized a lot of names and faces and even a few birthday cards, but there was one thing that really caught my eye. A picture of a team. Yes, I spent a bit of time staring and smiling at the seven year old faces of the “city champion” Fireplace Shop Flames. Being a part of that team, even at such a young age, brought back a ton of good memories. I can still name every kid and coach in the picture to this day.

ƒWhether we realize this or not, our life is filled with teams. We’re all born into, for better or worse, a family team. Throughout life, we are tossed to and fro into teams of friends that we get to choose. Through all of the different life stages, they come and go, but there is always a group there. Each job or career choice also puts us on some sort of team working toward a common goal. No matter who you are or what you do, it takes support to be successful.

I can only imagine the emptiness of success with no team to share it with.

As you can imagine, a dental office is no different from anywhere else. For a variety of reasons, many dental patients arrive with a basket full of stress and, sometimes, a handful of pain to go along with it. These are the times when a stellar team can shine, from the front office to the back operatories to the smile on a doctor’s face. People, a team, makes the difference.

At the end of the day, few will ever remember a great dental practitioner. In the dental office, our only chance is to treat people well, be kind, smile, listen, help, try to be gentle, and to do right. For all of this, it takes a great team.

For that, and all the other wonderful teams in our life, I have been blessed.

Until next week, keep smiling.

-Please send comments to Drs. Parrish at www.ParrishDental.com.