Delaying Decay

Dentists love to talk about it. They do what they can to help us prevent it. Tooth decay. Gum erosion. From regular cleanings and professional treatment, complete with admonitions to exercise healthy hygiene, to certain brands of toothpaste with specific additives, we are encouraged to delay decay as long as we can. Of course, dietary and environmental factors also contribute to whether we can stave off cavities and extractions or not. And as with all aspects of organic life, decay cannot be deterred forever.

Whether or not we exhibit gleaming white and perfectly straight teeth, we enjoy using our mouths and certainly for much more than consuming food. We love to flap our gums – talk – (what a gift!) much in the way dentists do about tooth decay. Our commentary, however, often swirls around what we see as awry in our lives, the lives of others, and the world at large. Public services like the delivery of mail or the cost of running an air conditioner are usual suspects. Public servants are regular targets of our dissecting eyes as we delight in picking apart policies along with personal penchants known to all. Bellyaching about what’s wrong in our communities, we point our critical fingers at school systems and churches and the people who populate them. Often, we groan about how families no longer look like June and Ward Cleaver rearing their sons Wally and Theodore. Little that we say seems to contribute to the delay in the decay of a world we think would be best for our grandchildren. We wonder if there’s anything we can do to stave off the perceived erosion of values we cherish with which we would infect others if possible.

Just as hygiene habits can contribute to health, so interpersonal standards can positively impact relationships and communities. Integrity. Honesty. Respect. Compassion. Responsibility. We could all generate a lengthy list of principles we believe would contribute to the flourishing of life around and within us. Beyond modeling such values in our own lives, we may feel at a loss as to how to foster them in others. Using our mouths as instruments of healing, guidance, encouragement, reconciliation, and love is a good place to start. Choosing our words carefully in ways that uplift and bless rather than put down and curse can go a long way in delaying the decay of the foundation of mutual respect. Providing a safe arena in which to listen to the stories of others as they enjoy the same gift of flapping their gums will foster the building of sturdy underpinnings upon which to establish community. Erosion abated. Decay delayed. The difference is noticeable and might even be contagious.