“Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.” -Louis PasteurAndie had a rough morning yesterday but her chain of events demonstrates one of Andie’s finest attributes (maybe even her “crowning glory,” which happens to be tenacity). So, a shout out to Andie with the following story:
Right before church Andie called with a little drama on her hands. A crown on her tooth not only came out but when she went to re-insert the crown it fell into her bathroom sink and slid right down the drain. And, since it was Sunday (of course!), her dental office wasn’t open for emergencies.
Because the missing crown created a less than desirable look, Andie was super frustrated! When she and I discussed her options over the phone, they seemed kind of bleak for the day ahead. Sure, Andie could (and should) go to church as well as a dinner she was invited to, but who feels social or like being seen in public with an unsightly gap in your smile. Furthermore, even visiting the dentist on Monday for a new crown looked inconvenient with her work schedule.
I felt her pain (really! Mom’s always do!) but there just wasn’t much I could do to make things better. But I did have empathy, I lost an expensive earring down a bathroom sink once. Anyway, I left for church, all the while feeling bad about Andie’s current plight which happened to fall at the end of a frustrating week generally for her (we all know how when it rains, it pours).
Well, during my Sacrament meeting a high councilman was speaking about recent miracles in his life and how we often think things that happen are fortuitous coincidences when they are really small miracles. And suddenly a text from Andie appears on my phone that her crown has been retrieved! A small miracle! Honestly!
Personally I believe Andie was blessed because despite her frustration and funny look, she did go to church after setting up a plumber who would call her when he could come and attempt a crown retrieval from the drain. When the plumber arrived, he was successful and just maybe it’s a direct result of Andie being where she was supposed to be (at church).
Now Andie doesn’t have to pay for another crown, the dentist can just repair it; a big monetary difference. Yes, I’m sure they’ll sanitize the crown first! Even better, Andie was able to return to church with the crown intact (albeit loose) and enjoy the rest of her day without an awkward smile.
And best of all, I think Andie may have learned something about herself. Initially she was kind of worked up (think near meltdown) about the lost crown. After it dropped in the drain she started down the pity this-is-bad-so-everything-else-is-bad-too party. But she caught herself, thought about her options, and then took action. And things worked out!
The lost crown was not earth shattering, mostly frustrating, but Andie has dealt with some bonafide tough events in her life. And, she rallies! I like to think of it as tenacious! Andie always hangs in there, in fact, tenacity just might be Andie’s crowning glory! And one of the coolest things about tenacity (as pointed out in the quote below), is sometimes tenacity is just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other and to keep going!
“Tenacity is a pretty fair substitute for bravery, and the best form of tenacity I know is expressed in a Danish fur trapper’s principle: 'The next mile is the only one a person really has to make.’” -Eric Sevareid
