Cupcakes

Dr. Norris, our family dentist and friend, stopped by with cupcakes yesterday-big moist, delectable cupcakes. Yes, I did say he's a dentist, and a very talented one, but his true strength lies in his keen intuition about people. He genuinly cares about, and engages with his patients on a level I've never experienced before. Crammed in the little corner between the wall and the tiny bistro table, he drank tea and told Mom a few touching tales. One story involved a little patient he treats who would cry his head off during every visit. He told the boy they had to be a team to take care of his teeth. He said "Okay, I won't do anything you don't want me to do, but YOU call me if you get a toothache, not your mother. And when you want my help, I'll be here."

The call came a month or two later at eleven p.m. one night. A tiny voice on the phone said, "Dr. Norris, my tooth hurts." True to his word, the doctor went to the office and the child let him fill the tooth. Sometime after midnight, he told the child to go home and rest and call for an appointment to take care of a few other cavities before they get to the hurting stage. The boy did. Dr. Norris was able to get a six year old to call the dentist's office for an appointment. Now that's a stroke of genius.

And so were the cupcakes.