Hey, all, maeve sent me over to deliver this story from our de-clutter December thread:

I made a wonderful discovery today when I was shopping. I go to a small store called Save A Lot; they don't have every brand, or even every size and flavor of the brands they carry; it is a place to buy the staples, and it gets me through most weeks. There is a clerk there who I first met at another of their stores that closed. She's a beautiful young woman who had one glaring problem--really bad teeth. One in front on top that was clearly rotted more than half through and kind of a snaggletooth. I always wished there was a way the store would get dental insurance because clearly she needed a lot of work.

I was over there today in her checkout line, and I remarked that I hadn't seen her for a while, I've been through on a different shift. And then it hit me, she had a perfect smile. I pointed and asked her when this happened, and she is so pleased to have this work done (and noticed!) that it wasn't an imposition for me to remark. I did also tell her that I thought she was a beautiful woman and had always hoped she'd be able to do this. She needed to hear that.

The story is the remarkable part. She had a customer come through her line in September--she named the day--and he told her he was a dentist and that she needed to make an appointment with him. She held onto his card for a week before calling, and her co-workers urged her to call. When she made the appointment he did the xrays and told her what he proposed--her teeth were in bad enough shape that she needed a full plate on top and would also lose a couple of lower molars. It took a couple of months for the entire process, she said.

I moved from the register with my groceries and began to pack them nearby, and we were talking across the space between us. I asked if SaveALot had put in insurance to help her cover this? She said no, and that was the amazing thing, this dentist offered to do it for free--no cost beyond what her medicaid covers. We both burst into tears right there in the store and I had to give her big hug. That was such a generous thing for him to do--she knew this was a lot more work than normally would be covered.

I took my groceries out to the truck then returned with my camera phone and sent one of my twitpic posts to Twitter. She pulled out his card for the spelling--this man is a member of a family well known for good dental work here in town. His brother is an orthodontist we consulted (it was a long drive to get over there, which is why we ended up going somewhere closer). To go from broken, blackened teeth to a beautiful smile--it isn't just a vanity issue, it is a major health issue and such a huge psychological boost. And I am so happy to be able to share this story with each of you.

Go through the day with a smile!

SRS