Making sense

I love going to the dentist.

And I'm not being sarcastic.

I had the privilege of visiting the dentist today, and I was cavity-free again. I was kind of surprised by this, because I've eaten a lot more Jolly Ranchers lately than normal. Score.

Besides the uncomfortable feeling of having someone cram hands that are bigger than your mouth into it, I often hear people complain about their dentists trying to carry on conversations with them while it is quite difficult to utter anything remotely understandable. But I had an epiphany about this that I think makes perfect sense.

Dentists can decipher almost anything people say.

And what they don't understand they just pretend to interpret accurately.

You won't always make sense.

My dentist's office has TVs over each chair so you can watch something joyful while all sorts of pieces of equipment and loud noises are being blasted inside your mouth. I always opt for ESPN, and my dentist is quite aware of my love for sports, so that's all he ever discusses with me.

This afternoon I was greeted with, "Hello, Miss Natalie! How 'bout our Cowboys?!" We went on to discuss this sob story briefly but then thankfully moved on to college football. We are both pretty pumped about the big SEC matchup this weekend between Alabama and Georgia, and the doc really hopes the Crimson Tide gets rolled. (Sorry, WD!!) And, of course, we had to talk about the Heisman race and Johnny Football.

Our conversation was obviously fabulous. I couldn't even make out all of the syllables that were coming from my mouth, but he comprehended perfectly. It felt wonderful to be understood in a world full of misinterpretations and misunderstandings. I think maybe that's why so many people like the show Cheers and love the song about going somewhere where everyone knows your name. Well, it's also nice to be somewhere where you can say something that seems like it makes no sense, but it's actually flawlessly deciphered.

It's great to have people here on earth who get us, and it's even more special that we have a God who truly values us, even when we don't seem to make much sense. There's no perfect prayer, and even if we offer up something to Him that doesn't always sound just right, it still makes sense to Him. And He never even has to pretend.

I hope your next visit to the dentist is full of lively conversation that may sound comical but is actually somewhat refreshing.

And don't ever be afraid of seeming silly to others—there are people in your life who really get you, and they are the ones who matter the most.

Not one direction

Some moments in life will leave you breathless.

And others will cause you to go the wrong direction at inappropriate times.

I remember when I was a little kid that it was always a fun challenge to try to run down the up escalator or up the down escalator. I mean, if you say you haven't tried this at least once in life, you're either lying, or you haven't lived. Adults look at you with annoyed expressions, but you don't really care, because it's your job to be immature.

It's a different story when you're 28 years old.

It's not always one way.

I was at the mall the other day, and I entered through a different department store than I normally do, and I was also a floor above my usual entrance, as well. I didn't realize this until I had already hopped on the escalator to take me to the next level, and the store I needed to go to was on the first floor. My initial instinct was just to turn around and quickly go back down instead of having to ride the escalator all the way up and then walk around to the descending side. I was in a bit of a hurry, and I just didn't have time for that.

Flashback to fifth grade mall trips.

I hustled down the steps, trying my best not to fall (I have a known history of klutziness on stairs), and I only had to dodge one person, who definitely shot me a disapproving look. I think it's because I accidentally hit her Michael Kors purse on my way. Oopsies.

When I got to the bottom, my sense of pride at such a ridiculous accomplishment was cut short by the Nordstrom employee standing by the escalator.

"This is not a playhouse, young lady."

Some people just don't appreciate a little excitement in the shoe department.

I decided to ignore that he called me "young lady," though I wasn't thrilled about it. I only had enough time to say, "Oops, sorry. I forgot." Then I had to continue on the journey. You'll never reach your destination if you sit there trying to make excuses for why you made a mistake.

Even though it's not quite proper etiquette to go the wrong way on the escalator, I'm OK with how things turned out in this situation. I would probably do it again if I had to. There are moments in life where you will make mistakes, and sometimes the more logical solution is simply to turn around and get on the right track rather than creating an extended path. You can't always abide by social norms or care what others think. You might accidentally bump into things along the way, and it's possible you'll even get reprimanded, but it's all part of the journey.

An escalator may go only one way, but that doesn't mean you can't go against the grain and conquer it.

Sweet whimsies

Little girls are often taught to dream big, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

At least they're letting hope prevail.

The other day, I was in a waiting room, and a little girl in there started showing me how pretty her shoes were. I agreed with her—after all, they were pink and sparkly. She told me they were her princess shoes. Obviously.

"Mommy says all girls are princesses and will someday meet their princes and live happily ever after," she reminded me.

I looked at her mom and then back at her, smiled and said, "Just make sure you hold out for a hero."

My name was called at that moment, so I had to get up and leave before she could question my advice. She didn't look much older than 6, but I hope it sticks with her.

My brief chat with Princess Sparkle Shoes made me think about the innocent belief a lot of us have about how things will turn out for us: meet that flawless guy, have the most beautiful wedding, live in the pristine home with precious children and have a carefree life.

It's dreaming without reality in mind.

The truth is, there is no perfect life. There are always going to be struggles, even if you do get married and appear to have the ideal family and lifestyle. But, at the same time, I don't think there is anything wrong with wishing for the daydream to come true.

People wish on flowers, birthday candles, and multiple other things in hopes that there's some sparkle of possibility that those dreams will come true. It's innocent, and it's beautiful.

Even if it doesn't happen exactly as expected.

My life definitely isn't what I thought it would be when I blew on all of those dandelions as a young girl. If it were, I would have been on a lot more carriage rides looking at Christmas lights, gazebos would hold real meaning, and I would always have the assurance of someone there to hold my hand. And it's OK that those things aren't reality right now. I might be cursed from that whole climbing the Century Tree thing, but I might not be. We'll see.

I think it's still acceptable to twirl around and wish on flowers. If you don't have hope, you don't have much. You'll hopefully find your prince at some point, even if he isn't as charming and wonderful as Eric was to Ariel. People can't be as perfect as we want them to be, but that's what actually makes them even more special than fictional characters.

But just make sure you hold out for a hero.