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• WITH STEPHANIE VONDRAK
COVID-19: A mixed blessing Defined by Webster: “The tipping point: the critical point in a situation, process, or system beyond which a significant and often unstoppable effect or change takes place.” For those of you unfamiliar with “the tipping point,” it is the concept that an escalating amount of stimulus will initiate unstoppable change in an individual’s life and, similarly, in the world. Never have I felt this theory to be so relevant as I did March 10, 2020, the day the government shutdown forced me to lay off all of my employees/team/mothers/friends. This is the day the COVID pandemic became real in my life. The idea that as a dentist I would have to learn how unemployment compensation works, advise my team members on safe practices among the threat of aerosols, and implement plans to care for my patients on an emergency basis only was—needless to say—surreal. To give you a bit more context, the week leading up to the COVID pandemic was one of the most challenging in my life. My mother, who has so bravely battled ALS for the last two years, was hospitalized and forced to face the devastation of her progressing disease. To say I was slightly distracted from the looming virus would be akin to saying the Titanic sinking was a mild disaster.
What I find amazing about this shutdown is the roller-coaster effect it has had on the masses. In fact, I’m going to boldly state that as a species we—humans—have never been more connected. We have universally experienced many stephanie vondrak d.d.s. of the same feelings at the same time. From fear of getting sick to sadness for those who are sick to grief for those who have died to confusion about how to maintain a sense of normalcy in our lives, we are all in this together. For me personally, COVID has been a mixed blessing. I have experienced the loss of community and purpose without the ability to care for my patients and team. I have felt the financial burden of lost income and the pressure of being the sole provider in my household. But I have also found the gift of time, a commodity that has eluded my life for many years. You see, I’ve always been a hard charger, a driver. One of those high-energy people with a deep desire to impact the world around me, and I’ve been lucky. I have had the opportunity to work with amazing patients. Fantastic individuals that have trusted me to treat their jaw pain, straighten their teeth, cosmetically transform their smiles, and most importantly, be a part of their lives. I’ve worked diligently to create a thriving atmosphere for my dental team. I have been honored to lecture throughout the U.S., I’ve written a book, and I’ve met inspiring people during my continuing education pursuits. Now, meet COVID-19. (Insert pandemic arrives.) Prepare for a jolt. Crank the emergency brake. Stop dead in your tracks. Everything is ON HOLD. Then BREATHE. The pandemic, with all its fear and uncertainty, has given me many blessings as well. I’ve spent time with my parents to care for their medical needs, to sit and talk, to conduct FaceTime conversations with my 97-year-old grandpa and to enjoy my mom’s impromptu drive-by birthday party. I have had the of gift of cooking actual meals with my kids that we sit down and eat together. Without the stress of busy sports schedules, I have spread mulch in the yard with my 13year-old son, captured earthworms as pets for my little guy, and taken a 10-hour drive to fulfill my daughter’s dream: her very own mini dachshund puppy, Paisley. The pandemic has offered me permission to slow down without question or guilt, the chance to create a tipping point in my own life giving me the opportunity to choose to make an impact on my own small world. My hope is that as you read this column the concept of humans as a collective group with similar challenges and feelings rings true. I hope you can visualize a few mixed blessings in your own life and that you have some time to reflect on your potential tipping points before moving forward. We all have a long way to go in 2020, much to be learned and much to be gained. But what we know for certain is that we—humans—are all in this together!
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mmagazine • JUne 2020
