As many of you know, I was gone for a chunk of time during the summer. I joined one of my good friends for an epic adventure riding bikes down the continental divide. I had no idea what I was in store for.  I bought a bike-packing bike and equipped it to carry all my gear for the six-week gravel/dirt/trail ride. I knew it was going to be tough and physically challenging.  I knew the scenery would be spectacular. What I didn’t know was how much I would enjoy the simplicity of getting from point A to point B each day, the power that each turn of the pedal had as it moved me forward, and how free I felt. I lived in the same clothes for six weeks. We rode 30 to 40 miles a day on roads far from civilization. We met people along the way which reaffirmed my faith in the human spirit, people who gave freely of their time and places ….asking nothing in return.

The best part of the adventure, however, was the fact that I could actually do it. In the past 25 years of providing dentistry in Redmond, most of my vacations were 7 to 10 days long. This year, however, I was leaving my practice in the hands of my son, Jed. He held down the fort while I was gone, and he did it with great ease and confidence. I know many of our patients saw him during the summer months and loved his skill, easy laugh, and gentle demeanor.  What I learned when I got back from my trip was that I could let go and hand off my practice to Jed with the confidence and assurance that he would continue to provide each of our patients with great care and compassion. 

To that means, on October 1, Jed became my new boss, and I have assumed the role of senior associate and part-time greeter.  I couldn’t be happier for Jed as he takes over the reins.  He will continue to offer a wide range of superior dental services.  He is an unbelievably capable and attentive clinician. As for me, I still have a job and plan to work a couple of days a week. I will take more time off, however, to travel and volunteer.

Oh, and I still have the other half of the continental divide to ride.