June 4, 2020

Kim is retiring from Dr. Robinson’s Dental Studio. I know. I know. I can’t even. She’s been the source of blessing for all of us through the years, but it’s time.

Kim is relentless. If you’re on her short notice list, she will keep calling you to get you on the schedule. You told her any Wednesday at 2 would be perfect for you.  I know you see the caller ID and you know it’s Kim trying to get you to come in on short notice, but now you have to tell her once again that you’re not available for Wednesday at 2. And she keeps calling!

We’re rarely open on a Monday, and she hates it when we work a Monday. Usually by mid-Wednesday, she’s ready for Friday.  I can count on her to do almost anything to help me out in a heart beat. She’ll take xrays on my patient, get my room ready for another patient, and fix what ever is wrong with my damn computer! I can also count on her to roll her eyes and grumble about it.  She’s not perfect, but she’s predictable and reliable. 

But every now and then, she surprises me. I’ve heard a few things come out of her mouth that I didn’t expect. I’m not going to repeat them. I’ve seen her get mad and frazzled. And I’ve seen her close to the edge. The last year has been a very hard one for my friend. She wasn’t ready to lose her Dad, and she’s slowly been losing her Mom for a long time. There have been times I thought she might completely break, but she held it together and did what she needed to do. 

She is my hairdresser. I’ve cheated on her a time or two, and she always busts me. “Did you cut your own hair? Did Paul do it? Did Grace. What do you mean you went to EgoHr?” She doesn’t usually appreciate my 6am texts asking if she can cut my hair during her lunch break, and she sometimes doesn’t respond in a timely fashion. She leaves me no choice but to keep texting her with increasing urgency. Kim. KIM. KIM!!!! But I have to check myself because my hairdresser is not the person I want to make mad. Can I get an amen!?

There are few things that make her happier and more content than her family. I don’t know how she lives with Kent and maintains her sanity, but they are a powerful couple, pair-bonded for life. I’ve spent 8+ hours a day with Kim for many years. Kent is gonna be spending lots of time with Kim from now on. I hope he has thought this through carefully. Best luck to you, Kent. She loves her Josh and Sara, and NYC is far too far away. And then there’s Evan. Lawdy! She’s a little eaten up with that grandson. Maybe you didn’t know that. And wouldn’t we be so blessed if only we were loved and pampered as well as any dog Kim has ever owned. If only! 

She’s a preacher’s kid, and I think we all know what that means. She’s got a wild side. Kim’s singing in the choir, but she’s got tickets to Aerosmith and Kiss. She’s the first person I texted when I saw Kenny Rogers died.  She knows Elvis’s birthday and death date. Her musical tastes are all over the place, but she’s a gospel girl at heart. 

Kim once asked me to tell her the truth about a situation. I asked her if she would prefer the gentle, lightly scented half-truth or the brutal, stanky honesty? She chose the full-on stank, so I gave it to her and she took it like a boss. I want Kim in the trenches with me. She’s upfront and she’s got my back. She is many things to many people. She’s a baker, low alto, hairdresser, friend, office manager, mother, wife, daughter, sister,  travel companion, neighbor, confidant, virtuous sage, voice of reason, the right one to turn to, the wrong one to underestimate. She embodies strength and compassion. Perfectly flawed. She’s got a green thumb and a tender heart. She is a truth speaker and truth seeker. Kim is steady as they come. She orients and centers me when my world is spinning out of control. Kim is True North.

She is retiring after 17 years of working with Dr. Robinson. I’ve worked with her for 15. Kim leaving us leaves such a cavernous void. She was my patient the other day, and she will keep being my patient. We will get her scheduled for next time. It won’t be an 8:00 appointment, that’s for sure. She’ll be sipping coffee at 8 in her robe. Maybe watching Kelly and Ryan at 9 and The View at 11. I’ll probably call her for a Wednesday at 2. Maybe she’ll be available. Kim. KIM. KIM!!!

Love,

Sandie