We have the nicest patients in the world. Every Christmas many of you bring us gifts when you come in for an appointment. We love it, and the staff loves it too.

I love cookies, chocolate, and candy. Who doesn’t. But we get so many gifts I find myself eating cookies for breakfast, chocolate for lunch, and candy on the drive home after work. I’ve even been skipping my healthy breakfast smoothie each morning to save room.

So on the one hand, I love the presents, but on the other hand my waistline and cholesterol could certainly do without.

I feel like Gollum from Lord of the Rings arguing with myself:

“Yes, bring us more presents . . . we loves them!”

“No, my precious doesn’t need them . . . they hurts us . . . they makes us fat, like hobbitses!”

“Yes, but we loves warm homemade cookieses . . . and we can do more exercises next month . . . yes we can!”

“We wants something healthy . . . yes, fruits and nuts, like that nice dentist sends us . . . yes!”

“No! Bring us chocolates! More chocolates! We needs it!”

So, if you bring us junk, we’ll love you for it. If you bring us something healthy, our wives will love you for it, and so will we. If you bring us nothing at all, we’ll still love you, but the staff won’t.

And anyone who wants to bring in Lord of the Rings memorabilia instead, well, that would be precious.

Dr. Bob