It was the afternoon of December 24, the day before Christmas; and as the newest hygienist in our office, I had to work. The only thing that brightened my day was the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in our waiting room and a gift sent to me by a fellow I was dating%26mdash;a dozen long-stemmed red roses.

As I was cleaning my operatory, our receptionist came and said there was a lady in the front office that urgently needed to speak with me. As I stepped out, I noticed a young, tired-looking woman with an infant in her arms. Nervously, she explained that her husband%26mdash;a prisoner in a nearby correctional facility%26mdash;was my next patient. The guards were scheduled to bring him to the office that afternoon. She told me she wasn%26rsquo;t allowed to visit her husband in prison and that he had never seen his son. Her plea was for me to let the boy%26rsquo;s father sit in the waiting room with her as long as possible before I called him for his appointment. Since my schedule wasn%26rsquo;t full, I agreed. After all, it was Christmas Eve.

A short time later, her husband arrived%26mdash;with shackles on his feet, cuffs on his hands, and two armed guards as an escort. The woman%26rsquo;s tired face lit up like our little Christmas tree when her husband took a seat beside her. I kept peeking out to watch them laugh, cry, and share their child.

After almost an hour, I called the prisoner back to the operatory. While I worked, the guards stood just outside my door. The patient seemed like a gentle and humble man. I wondered what he possibly could have done to be held under such conditions. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible.

At the end of the appointment, I wished him a Merry Christmas%26mdash;a difficult thing to say to a man headed back to prison. He smiled and thanked me. He also said he felt saddened by the fact he hadn%26rsquo;t been able to get his wife anything for Christmas. On hearing this, I was inspired with a wonderful idea.

I%26rsquo;ll never forget the look on both their faces as the prisoner gave his wife the beautiful, long-stemmed roses. I%26rsquo;m not sure who experienced the most joy%26mdash;the husband in giving, the wife in receiving, or myself in having the opportunity to share in this special moment.