The first day of 2026 didn’t start with goals, planners, or resolutions.
It started at a dentist’s clinic.
My daughter had tooth pain, and like any parent, I wanted to deal with it immediately. We went from clinic to clinic, only to find that almost all private and public dental offices were closed because of the holiday.
Except one.
It was the biggest clinic in Tashkent. That surprised me. I thought, At least here we’ll be safe.
Inside, only one department was working. No children’s section. No specialists. Just one young doctor.
Very young.
He looked like a fresh graduate. Maybe 22 years old. Polite, confident enough, and willing to help. I hesitated for a moment, but when your child is in pain, hesitation feels like irresponsibility.
He said it would be a quick fix.
Some injections. Painkillers. Nothing serious.
I told him one thing very clearly:
“Please make sure it doesn’t hurt.”
When Instinct Tells You Something Is Wrong
I stayed in the room and watched closely.
The first injection went in.
Then the second.
My daughter started crying.
Then screaming.
Her gums began bleeding.
I froze for a moment — that helpless kind of freeze where your brain is catching up with what your heart already knows: this is wrong.
I told him to stop.
He didn’t.
He kept going, saying, “It’s normal. She’s just a child. She can’t tolerate pain.”
I told him again.
Then a third time.
“This is not our first visit. Every time we came before, there was no pain like this.”
He kept insisting he was doing everything right.
That was the moment I couldn’t stay calm anymore.
I said, “Stop. We’re leaving.”
We left the clinic immediately.
My daughter was crying. I was angry — but more than that, I felt guilty. Guilty for trusting the wrong hands at the wrong moment. Guilty for not having a better option ready. Guilty for thinking “the biggest clinic” automatically meant “the right specialist.”
And then something happened that made the whole situation even more painful.
Outside, another staff member asked casually:
“Why were you here? The children’s dental department is in another building.”
Another building.
Another department.
The right place.
But it was already too late.
What This Day Taught Me
This experience revealed a hard truth:In the moments that matter most, having access is not enough.
You need the right specialist, at the right time, in the right situation.
Life doesn’t break us in dramatic ways.
Sometimes it shatters us quietly — through small decisions made under pressure, through inexperienced hands, through systems that aren’t ready when we need them most.
It also reminded me of something deeper.
You can’t predict what’s behind every door.
You can only take one step at a time.
And in the end, you rely on God — because every unexpected moment is a test in one form or another.
This year, my quiet promise to myself is simple. Protect my family with foresight, not panic
And when things still go wrong — because sometimes they will — accept that not everything is in our control.
The pain passes. The lesson stays.
I pray this year brings protection, wisdom, and better moments for all of us.
Happy New Year.
Best,
Nuri
