BRACE YOURSELF!

My eleven year old daughter  had to get braces last fall.  She had the perfect ghoul mouth the previous October.  Her permanent cuspid teeth had come in, while her baby teeth were still holding on, creating a nice layered effect!   When the baby teeth finally came out, the adult teeth still stayed way high on her gum line, making it look as if she had fangs.

Before bracing up!

Hence the trip to meet our new orthodontist, designated to straighten her out for approximately eighteen months.  Fortunately, her jaw was fine, so she didn’t need any of those extras…just basic braces.  She got to pick the color of the bands.  I guess that is the hot new thing now.  Braces are now all about the bling.  Your bands can be hot pink, or the colors of your favorite sports team, or any combination of choices.  Who knew?   Anyway, she chose purple and pink to start the process.

The excitement lasted about twelve hours until the pain kicked in. The poor kid!  She couldn’t eat much of anything.  Her mouth just plain ached.  Remarkably, I noticed a difference in her teeth within twenty-four hours.   The two eye teeth had already shifted more into place.  However, permanent change takes time and patience.  After the initial shift slow and steady persistence will be imperative to making those other pearly whites stay in line.  As new band colors are chosen each month, Graces’ mouth is re-evaluated, minor adjustments are made, and discomfort ensues as her mouth concedes to the movement.

So sink your teeth into this tidbit: We, my friends, must be our own orthodontists. To flourish we have to brace ourselves. When there are areas of our life that are not in alignment with our beliefs and core values we cannot succeed.  So if you are struggling with your job, your health, or your finances, make that change!  You might see huge shifts initially, but after the “honeymoon” period just realize that habits don’t change unless you brace yourself for the long term commitment.   Recognize with each shift comes some discomfort, and that is nature letting you know that you are on the right track, because nothing lasting is ever easy.

Life Lesson? Brace up, realign slowly, and see your bling shine through!