When I think about 2020, I think of LOSS. I think of patients and people in this community who have lost their jobs, or who have had to be on unemployment, many wondering how they are going to make it. I think of families jumping through hoops to provide for their kids’ altered education, and the kids locked up at home and losing hours at school. I think of people whose health suffered because of Covid-19 or because of other untreated illnesses, and the uncertainly that this has caused for them. And most of all, I think of people who lost their lives or the lives of a loved one because of Covid. For these individuals, 2020 has truly been a life-altering year.
But I also think about what I’m THANKFUL for in 2020. I think I am not alone in that the last few months have reminded me about what is truly important in my life. I’m so thankful for the time that I got to spend with my wife and my three kids at home—perhaps I will never be able to have that much uninterrupted time with them again. The silence and inactivity also reminded me of the importance of my personal faith—the power that sustains me through all of life’s difficulties. And I am so thankful for my amazing Boulevard Dental staff (my second family). I have watched them go above and beyond to do everything possible to ensure your safety in our office, even when it has been very difficult for them personally to do so.
AND I AM SO THANKFUL FOR YOU, MY PATIENTS. Growing up poor in communist Ukraine, I never could have imagined that one day I would own my own dental practice and be able to serve a community in this way. And I never anticipated, even in my dental training, how much my patients would become part of my life. I have walked with you through births, job changes, weddings, and funerals. I have listened to your fears and I have laughed with you. After all, before we are dentist and patient, we are people. Our course in life may have brought us to different places, but we are the same. We all have fears and we all have hopes. And we all hope that 2021 will be better than 2020. That said, no matter what comes our way, we somehow feel we can handle it better because we know we are in this together.
We are part of a community, and I am so, so thankful that YOU are part of this Boulevard Dental community. Thank you so much for how you have supported Boulevard Dental during these difficult times. Thank you for your patience with our Covid-19 safety requirements, thank you for waiting to be seen as we tried very hard to schedule you, and thank you for smiling even when it’s been hard. This practice would not be a practice without you. You have our commitment that we will do everything we can to continue to protect you, to provide for your dental needs, and to walk with you through life’s difficulties in 2021 and beyond.
With sincere gratitude,
Tim Medianick, DMD, FICOI