Meet, Re-Meet

Last weekend, I met someone I already knew. You know...those people that you see from time to time, somewhat more than acquaintances, whom you think you kind of know, but you find out later that you didn't know very much at all?

I knew that she is intelligent and hard working.
I knew that she is beautiful.
I knew that she is the mother of sons, that her first marriage was troubled and finally ended.
I knew that she remarried, and that her new husband has a lot of the same qualities that my own Sweet Hubs has. (I know that because my Sweet Hubs and hers went to school together and have known each other practically all their lives.)
I knew that she was patient and very kind, and is tolerant of the profoundly chicken-hearted. (I knew that because she is a dental technician at my dentist's office. Everyone within a mile of that office knows I'm a chicken.)
I also knew that she is a vibrant person who seems to me to be saying "YES!" to life every day.

As it turns out, those things are really only scratching the surface of this gorgeous woman I thought I kind of knew.

She is faithful, funny and compassionate. I never guessed at her wicked wit or saw her as a grandmother. I got to see a glimpse of her loyalty, honor and devotion. I got to see a bit of her intrepid spirit and her amusement at life.

It is good for me to be reminded regularly that people are always so much more than they first appear. It doesn't matter if that first impression is good or bad, the person is sure to be far more multi-faceted than I ever guess. Of course, none of these observations make me any less afraid of the dentist.