It Feels like Home

Five years ago this month I left a job where I had worked for 14 years as a dental hygienist, treating and caring for my patients as if they were my friends and family. During that time I also trained new employees, set up standard operating procedures for the hygiene department and worked on advertizing; basically doing whatever I could to help the practice grow.  In the 14 years I was there the practice went from three chairs to six chairs and three employees to six employees because we all worked together as a team. 

So why did I leave? The Dentist changed the vision of his practice. He wanted an upscale cosmetic practice instead of continuing with his thriving family practice.  I don’t think he was wrong in wanting to change his practice or that the methods he used to change it were wrong but after two years of struggling through the changes I realized I didn’t enjoy working in an upscale cosmetic practice. As much as I wanted to stay and buy into the new vision I just couldn’t. It wasn’t me. I was too practical and I missed the homey feeling of the family practice.

So, following the Lord’s leading I found a periodontal practice with the homey friendly  feeling I liked but it wasn’t without its difficulties. Those first few years after the “honeymoon” phase was over I had many doubts about whether or not I had made the right decision and if I had the vigor to learn a new job at a new office with a new employer and new employees. My new co-workers had worked together for about 10 years; they were all good friends and had their own way of doing things.  It took time to learn their systems and although they were "friendly" it took time for us to become friends; it took time for their patients to trust me and it took time for me to stop missing the way things use to be. I’m not sure when it started feeling like home but today I’m very thankful for their patience and encouragement and friendship and that “IT FEELS LIKE HOME!”