Dedication...

Just before I left on my trips we receive the bound copy of Jeff's thesis in the mail (my dissertation remains unbound--I figure it's like a wedding gift, you have full year, right?). I had forgotten that he dedicated his work to me. And while this may seem like a small detail (after all, I'm sure you can imagine how diabetogenic gingival epithelial destruction and periodontal disease really melts my butter (note: read with sarcasm)), it actually says a lot.

A thesis, let alone a master's degree, was not something that Jeff wanted to complete. He didn't want to spend two additional years in school in order to spend the four that he really wanted to, or labor over his petri dishes of cells (sometimes on nights and weekends), or send many mice to meet their maker, but, he did it for us, our little family, and especially for me, because despite his boasting about having a "sugar momma," he really wants to take care of me and any little Jeff's or Amy's that may eventually join us. I admire his persistence and am thankful every day for his willingness to do whatever it takes (regardless of how unpleasant it may be--ask him why they don't have windows in the labs in the dental tower at the health science center) to achieve his goals and provide for our family.

So, his dedication is "To my wife, Amy Tobler" and for that I am very grateful.