It Brings Us Together

The other day I went by my daughter's Orthodontist's office to pick up her retainer. Straightening this child's teeth has been a long, arduous, and expensive process and I've visited this office a lot over the past three years. I've also interacted with the office staff, doctors, and technicians that work there. It must be a decent place to work because there doesn't seem to be a lot of turnover. So, the other day, the technician that approached me to discuss Rachel's retainer was not unfamiliar to me. I hadn't chatted with her before, but I'd definitely seen her there.
At this point in my little tale I should note that I was wearing a top I'd made using this pattern. This too is not unusual as I make a lot of tops and am often wearing something homemade.
The technician approached me and complimented me on my shirt. I thanked her and asked a question about the retainer. In answering my question, she motioned me over to her computer and asked me where I had purchased my top. That's when I got to proudly proclaim that I made it myself, probably one of my top ten favorite statements. The technician smiled and said something that would bring us together not as patient and care provider, but as sisters. She said she loved the pattern, she also sews, and do I remember the pattern number so she can buy a copy.

These pictures have nothing to do with the post. They're just here to look pretty.

Any interest I had in Rachel's retainer, the state of her teeth, or anything dentally oriented flew right out the window. The technician wanted to know if I could recommend other patterns that were fun and easy to sew and, best of all, did I have any preferences for sourcing fabrics. We were speaking the same language. And, as I told her, it's a language I don't speak that often in my day-to-day interactions. She apologized for taking up my time with non-orthodontic questions, but I didn't mind. I was so happy to talk to a fellow sewer, I could have spent the rest of the afternoon there. I even found that I noticed things about this woman that I'd never seen before. Were her eyes always so bright? Had she always had such a great hair color? Her interest in sewing was making her more appealing in general. I was so excited about what she might sew and in what fabric.


When I walked into the office I felt rushed and a little annoyed. This was my second trip there in the same day because they'd taken the mold for the retainer that morning. I just wanted to get what I needed and go. When I left though I was smiling and felt content and happy. It's amazing what finding a kindred spirit and a few minutes spent chatting about seam allowances can do for a hot, summer afternoon.