New Year’s Eve, Eve…

I am not sure if I feel blessed or cursed to be writing the last “Daily Grind” post of 2015. During my two-year stint as a blogger here, I have always felt compelled to share something meaningful and important, and if nothing else, something entertaining. As I write this post, however, so close to the end of the year, it is natural to reflect on 2015 and project my desires for 2016. Maybe today is not the day to reflect, as it began about as rough as they come: Walking into the office to see your office manager (super human extraordinaire who can do all things, including your in-office repairs) on the phone with the service repair person at 7:30 a.m. troubleshooting a fix for the operatory chair, which is leaking hydraulic fluid and can only go up while the chair is back. I know this has happened to you, or something near it—a full schedule and broken equipment. Needless to say, I was grateful my first patient was family and I knew she wouldn’t mind my broken operatory chair while I sent my business team member to buy a gallon of hydraulic fluid to feed the machine until we had the leak repaired. Yes, today may not be the best day to be optimistic and “reflective” on my amazing 2015.

That being said, for me, 2015 was filled with the great highs and great lows we all experience, personally and professionally. Professionally speaking, we had a tumultuous year in our office with some significant changes in our staffing. Despite that, we managed to provide exceptional patient care and our team continually delivered their best to keep the schedule moving regardless of being short-staffed (very short-staffed at times). Also, regarding my professional life and the AGD, I was reminded today of this Facebook post I had shared one year ago today:

Needless to say, I was selected to serve on the AGD’s Communications Council and I couldn’t be more excited about it. I am #AGDLoyal! This year was a great year for my relationship with the AGD. I served as a delegate for my first time in San Francisco during the academy’s annual meeting, AGD 2015, and I was selected to serve as vice president at the state level. For the upcoming year, I have only excitement and joy when I think of my upcoming board meetings, national Joint Council Meetings in February, state annual session in March, and AGD 2016 in Boston in July! The downside to Boston: I will be missing a favorite annual event here at home, but as I said, it is annual, it is here EVERY year, but #AGD2016 will only happen in 2016!

Personally speaking, I had the same roller coaster life of saying goodbye to important people in my life, but also reconnecting with those that I had been disconnected with. I said goodbye to my dear grandma at the spunky age of 96! She had an amazing life and was proud of her family and its accomplishments. With that loss, however, family came together to celebrate her life. I travelled to her hometown near Montreal for the memorial and finally saw “the farm” and experienced the life of which I had only heard stories. Her death also brought me back to my cousins with whom I grew up, almost like sisters, and have continued to maintain a closeness with that I haven’t experienced since I was a teenager. So with the bad, comes the good. And I accept it for what is.

For the future, I choose to continue to live my life in the moment and not look back on the “what ifs” and “could have beens”, because in the end, it doesn’t matter. I know all silver linings have a cloud, but I choose the silver lining and move past the cloud. I wish you all the best for 2016!

Colleen B. DeLacy, DDS, FAGD