Six Word Saturday (3/16/13)

Now I Have To Catch Up

I had meant to write about my weekend (3/7 & 3/8) but I kept putting it off so now I have to write about both last week and this week.

Last Week (3/9/13)

I was a little bit bored so I went on the church's website Thursday to see about downloading some sermons to type up, and on the front page was a notice about the women's conference that weekend, guest speaker Allison Pittman (whose book "Ten Thousand Charms" I'd just finished and other book "Saturdays With Stella" was one of my all-time favorite books).  I immediately called and had them reserve a ticket for me!  The conference consisted of dinner/part I of her talk on Friday and then coming back for breakfast/part II and silent auction/part III on Saturday.  The subject she spoke on was being a friend with yourself (part 1),  with others (part 2), and with God (part 3).  I did get to meet her!  And I bought her newest book "All for a Song" and she signed the inside of it with "Sing a new song!"

This Week (3/16/13)

My youngest son's back molar started hurting him Sunday so I called the answering service for the dentist, but the dentist never called me back.  Monday morning I got a hold of the actual office and complained about not getting a call and then they told me they could see my son as soon as we could get there.  Dentist's offices give me the creeps.  I've had so much experience as a child being afraid of going to a doctor or hospital and now I have a real phobia about such places.  Not to mention that the suction thing for the dentist reminds me of the abortion clinic.  My husband refused to take time off work so that left me to do it.  I told my therapist to pray for me (since I don't have anyone else who cares about me) and amazingly I was very calm driving there and in the waiting area.

This children's dentist has a large back room containing about eight dental chairs in primary colors about three feet away from each other in a line.  My son reclined in one of the chairs and I sat on a stool near him.  There were already four children reclining, two of whom were getting their teeth worked on and/or cleaned. The two children were young - probably at the youngest 3 - and they were both crying.  I just instinctively got protective of them, thinking they're in pain and they're afraid and nobody cares!  I tried not to cry but eventually I put my head down and the tears dripped out of my eyes but I was quiet.  My daughter (who skipped school to be my human GPS and cheerleader for her brother) kept rubbing my arm and then rubbing her brother's arm and saying it was going to be okay.  I felt like a bad mother because I should have been doing that to them.  The dentist wasn't his regular one, it was a man, and he was so nice!  He told me he didn't think the molar was worth saving with a root canal and helped us get an appointment with an oral surgeon to get it pulled on 4/1, and he gave some antibiotics to take till then.

On Thursday I went with my friend/"roommate" M (from my first Rachel's Vineyard retreat) to a movie/pizza night at a Catholic church downtown.  We went to mass first (we were about 10 minutes late).  Afterwards they showed the documentary "Changing Sides" (the story of Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson who quit after witnessing an ultrasound-guided abortion).  Surprisingly, I wasn't hurt or upset by the movie, and I had a really good time talking with everyone.  I think Catholics are very forgiving and accepting, and I just feel so comfortable around them.