Day 18

Something learned:

Somewhere in my preteen years, we had classes in school about Lateral Thinking, and one of the topics was PMI - Plus, Minus, Interesting. We would discuss some choice to be made and come up with a list of plus, minus and interesting points about the various options. My takeaway from this lesson was that it was important to be able to see all sides of the picture.

Unfortunately, for a long time in my life after that, when looking at all sides of the picture, I was often so mired down in considerations that I was unable to make a decision one way or another. It wasn't until someone else pointed out that knowing all the pros and cons didn't matter if I didn't stand for something because otherwise I stood for nothing at all. Making a choice was the second part of the equation that I had yet to learn.

We have to make choices in the face of incomplete information all the time. Even worse, are the permanent choices, like whether to marry someone or having a child. There may always be better options, things can always go wrong. But those shouldn't be reasons to put off a choice, otherwise you can never choose at all.

Sometimes my choices are great, sometimes they're not. But I make them with the best forethought I can, and the available information. If things go wrong, I deal with them without regrets, because for me, not choosing at all is not a viable alternative.

Today I was grateful for:

1. Having a job that is flexible enough about working from home to care for a sick child

2. Invisalign being a lot less pokey than metal braces

3. Invisalign making snacking a lot less convenient.. maybe I'll lose some weight!

4. Hubby who doesn't complain about my cooking, even as one dish lacks salt and the other is too salty.

5. The stickers that my kid likes leaving everywhere. They drive me nuts now, but I know I'll miss them some day.

A hope:

That these aligners will stop driving me crazy soon. I got these things only because my dentist warned that my moving teeth would erode my jawbone and cause bone loss.