How do you measure a year? As parents, we often measure time by birthdays, school calendars, sports seasons, vacations, and milestones. As an orthodontist, I measure time with appointments, growth, eruption of teeth, changing smiles, and the gradual transformation that happens over months and years.
When I reflect on my life and the years and seasons of my life thus far, I realize that the most meaningful seasons were not measured solely by some of the abovementioned markers or even by milestones or accomplishments. They were measured by people, prayers, challenges and the moments and people that changed me and made me who I am.
I spent my high school and college years as a competitive runner, balancing workouts with academics and pursuing a career in dentistry. Eventually, that path led me to orthodontics. At times, life felt very much like a race, literally and figuratively. There was always another finish line to reach.
With residency came a very different season – a season of infertility. It was a season of uncertainty, prayer, and relinquishing control, something I felt I had up until that point in life. The future I had imagined didn’t unfold according to my timeline, and I learned that some of life’s most important seasons require patience rather than persistence.
Eventually, with continued prayers and patience, our family grew, and I entered another season – working and doing a start-up while raising young children. Although this season has been a busy one, it is the most fulfilling one. The “race” looks different than the 800s and 1500s I lined up for so many times. I’m not running towards a finish line per se and not trying to break any records, but just trying to enjoy the race and run the race for others now to be the best version of myself for my kids, husband, team, patients, and everyone else.
The beginning of a school year and season can feel like a new race or a new starting line with new teachers, new activities, new routines and new goals. It can also be a reminder of how quickly our children are moving through their own seasons and a reminder to us to slow down and be patient and present even in, and especially in, the busy seasons. Maybe slow and steady does win the race? Ironically (as a former runner), this is actually something I say in my office all the time in regards to tooth movement.
Maybe this school year we can measure our 525,600 minutes a little differently – not only by what we or our loved ones accomplish, but by whom we love, how we love, what we learn, and how fully we embrace the season we are in. We are not meant to stay in one season forever, and we also shouldn’t rush through the seasons. Some seasons are joyful, while others are difficult. Some feel like a sprint, while others require us to slow down and wait. Someday, we may look back and realize that the season we were so busy trying to get through was actually one we wished we could have stayed in just a little longer. In the end, perhaps the truest measure of a year is simple: love.
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