Today is likely to be a painful day.

You see, I am going to the dentist, not a regular dentist, no, a specialist one. Why?
Because along the way, some of my prized molars, faithful to me for years, have abandoned me. Or should I say part of them has, through hard foods, like nuts, and even foods as soft as porridge. But abandoned me they have.The result over time, despite regular, dutiful brushing and not always too regular flossing, is a couple of partly broken teeth, sharp and jagged. They chew badly and cut the cheek from time to time, causing a shock and a sharp wince too late to prevent.
That will end when they are extracted to leave a gaping hole with less surface to chew. Delicate for a time with only very soft foods to eat until the healing is complete.
Then replaced with metal and plastic to make them semi-whole again, making eating easier. Though there will be other issues to overcome; not sitting properly, becoming loose, or getting grit underneath, which only a quick whip out, clean and replace will do. There is little finesse in that.
Money can provide more elegant choices. Is it worth it? Time and experience will reveal the answer.
I remember reading somewhere that soft and flexible endure longer than hard and rigid. Teeth and tongue are testament to that. 
As we age, we lose things along the way: innocence, belief in Santa, milk teeth, first love, friends, to name a few.
Yet we also gain so much on the journey: love, friends, memories, experiences, laughter, food, music, books, and beautiful sunsets. Let’s live life to the full while we can with whatever we’ve got and try to make life better for us and those around us. 
Cherish the people we love and those special to us. Appreciate them while they are here and appreciate ourselves too; our teeth, eyes, and the rest of our body which keeps us going.