There I was in the dentist's chair having a giant epiphany. I'm not sure if was the nitrous, or just the fact that I had nothing to do but sit, be still, and think for two hours. I was having a very painful tooth extraction. The dentist told me that this would be the most painful part of my treatment plan. It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, but it was the most excruciating.
I'm finding that extraction is a theme we deal with in life quite frequently. Unhappy with a job? Extract it from your life and find a new one. Unhappy with your mood? Extract it and get into a new one. Sadly, I've faced the harsh reality that extraction also extends to family. At age 16 I never would have imagined that I would have close family members that weren't in my life. Beyond that, I never would have imagined that I would have close family members I felt the need to extract from my life. The dentist was right...extraction really is the worst pain. There is nothing enjoyable about separating from people you love. Why? The love NEVER goes away. However, when people start to get honest and show their true colors, you realize that they no longer deserve a seat at your table. And it SUUUUUUCKS. Just because they've done nothing but attack your character, abandon you, be completely unsupportive, and hurt the people around you, doesn't mean you just stop loving them. I wish it did. It would make extracting them from my life so much easier. Just like dental extraction, the only thing that brings relief is knowing I'm doing what I have to do, not what I want to do. No one wants to lose a tooth. However, it is essential to my health. At the end of the day, I do the right thing, I don't have a pretty way to sum this up. I'm just in pain. In my jaw and in my heart. I know my jaw will heal. I'm hoping my heart will too.
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