Toffees for the Dentist… Thank You Ahmad

Over the past 8 months we have had the pleasure of meeting and providing dental care to several Syrian families who now call Guelph their home. During this time we have had to opportunity to hear unbelievable stories of survival and resilience. We've also heard the first hand accounts of innocent families torn from their homes and in some cases, from each other.

Ahmad, a Syrian who traveled through refugee camps in Turkey and Lebanon before arriving in Canada with his pregnant wife earlier this year, has been to our clinic several times. We started by communicating through the help of a translator and then 'Google Translate'; through his ongoing efforts, Ahmad is now able to understand conversational English and even makes his own appointments.

At a recent appointment, I walked into the operatory to find 3 toffees on the counter. Ahmad pointed at them and said, "For baby Muhammed". Ahmad had brought me and others in the office toffees in celebrations of the arrival of his healthy baby boy. Later in the appointment he said, "Muhammed is Canadian", with a big smile on his face. Ahmad was overjoyed, not only with the arrival of his son, but the fact that his son would enjoy the benefits of being Canadian.

Here was Ahmad, a young man trying to adapt to life in his new home while adjusting to an unfamiliar language and culture, wanting to share his joy with everyone he came across. It was the first time in my career that a patient had brought me candies, but I couldn`t be happier. In his incredibly kind gesture, Ahmad reminded me that there are certain joys in life that are universal and cross over the boundaries of country, language and culture.

As an owner of a small business it is easy to get caught up in the daily grind of ensuring your daily duties are met and the business is running as smoothly as possible. I am probably more guilty than most of not stopping to appreciate the simple pleasures and joys that make it all worthwhile. Thank You Ahmad.