My Dad, the Dentist!

     

 

    Today I am going to talk to you about my dad the dentist. Dad had a dental practice that employed all five of us kids. The boys got the opportunity to clean the office and us girls were trained as dental assistants.I started at age 14 and the first time I sat down to assist he had me help with a frenectomy ,Which is a surgery to cut out a small muscle and as he did this he just handed it to me to discard. I took one look and flat cold  fainted!  I woke up to smelling salts and all the staff around me with him laughing, “initiation” he said. Dr. T always took us to Hacienda country club for a staff lunch whenever there was an occasion a birthday  or such , we would have a nice meal then dad would say he’d head back to the office for a short nap. We thank him for the meal but we wanted to stay to visit longer, as soon as he was out of sight we would get the waiter back order dessert, sign T3 and laugh and eat our cheesecake. Dad always had a way kind of making us feel  guilty to order dessert. Haha .Another Fun memory when we would have a staff lunch when we were out at a restaurant was the waitress would always ask if we wanted a glass of wine or a cocktail and dad would always say, “ would you want your dentist having a cocktail at lunch before your dental appointment?” Haha

​

But on a serious note we started working at his dental practice and was taught all the jobs that a dental assistant would do and we were expected to be eager to do any job that was asked of us. There was no coming in late or getting off early ,we were to have our hair tied back, fingernails clean and short, uniform pressed and sharp. I am sure his other staff thought that we would take it advantage of being daddy’s girls and not work hard, but quite the contrary. We had to work harder than anyone to make sure that we wouldn’t embarrass him or disrespect him. I so appreciate being taught that lesson at such a young age. He taught us to see the job and just take the initiative and do it and do it well. Don’t wait to be asked step up and do it. He would also check to see how clean I kept my car because he told me that when he interviewed an applicant for a job he would always walk them out to the car to see if they were tidy or not. I always kept that in mind whenever I went to a job interview. I also took the time to dress professional even when it wasn’t required or necessary, it was to him it meant you were classy and respectful towards that person.

My dad was very tolerant and non judging growing up which in turn taught me to never judge someone for their ways.  He liked to chat with strangers and was very good at conversation. Oh I must have been impressed with that as  I love to converse with others also now. As I watched him in his professional world I saw a very compassionate man who gave of his time and talents to those less fortunate. He didn’t know people were watching but they were, I was.  He never turned anyone away and treated many people that probably never paid him. He was needed and came through for them I was impressed as many others were also. It was an honor working for him as an assistant for 8 years and 12 years as his hygienist till the day he retired.

​

A few short personal memories when I was young, when I was about 9 or 10 mom set up a Saturday activity where we went to a book signing for one of my favorite authors Beverly Cleary. We met the author, got my book signed and then they gave us a sack lunch which we took over to the grass to sit down and eat. We took out the sandwich and it was covered in mayonnaise, and if you know my dad he hates mayonnaise, as I do also , So we sat there while everybody else ate and didn’t. We moved to St. George 25 years ago raising our four kids beside him and mom was a unspeakable joy. He never missed a single ball game or activity of my kids,  everyone always knew grandpa Taylor was there. When there was a great play he would stand up and say “that’s my grandkid”, he was so proud. I was lucky that mom and dad always opened up their home To all my friends and my kids friends and so so many people got to know him , Which is a great lesson in life to open up your heart open up your homes and share what you have. That is a valuable lesson that mom and dad taught me. I will continually look to him for advice and counsel for that is eternal. I love you dad, Jenn 

 

Ps: I also wanted to share that just before Christmas dad had me go get some clothes for mom to put under the tree. He wanted to surprise her so I gave him a card to sign and when I got home I asked him where the card was. He looked around to make sure Mom wasn’t looking and told me it was in the other room, behind the second pillow. It was really cute that he wanted to surprise her even 2 weeks before he left us . I knew my Dad loved  Mom and I appreciate that being shown to us kids