I, The Skeezyks, wish to declare that I HATE my dental hygienist! Over the years, she has turned me into a compulsive tooth brusher! Every time I go in for a cleaning, she spends the whole time I'm there complaining about my teeth being stained. (I drink black tea.) And since I am exquisitely sensitive to criticism of any kind, I try to do whatever I can to avoid it to the greatest extent possible.

As a result, brushing my teeth has become an obsession! As soon as I finish a cup of tea, I run for my toothbrush. I use whitening toothpaste. I struggle to get into every nook & cranny. I use mouthwash. I CAN'T STAND IT! However, I do have to admit that all of her complaining has resulted in The Skeezyks having a pretty darn clean set of choppers!

The Buddhist nun, Pema Chödrön teaches that the people in our lives who most irritate us, the ones who make us angry, who "get our goat", show us where we're stuck. She has written: "The people who repel us unwittingly show us the aspects of ourselves that we find unacceptable, which otherwise we can't see... They mirror us and give us the chance to befriend all of that ancient stuff that we carry around..." (Pg. 77- Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living)

So, thank you, R******. I am a better Skeezyks for having you in my life!