Reflections in January
For me, January is a month of reflection. As you know, my family is the most important thing in my life. My dad, Joe Robert Spatafore, passed away 13 years ago and I miss him every day. I grew up in a two-bedroom house with three sisters and one bathroom. My poor dad did not get to go into the bathroom for close to 18 years. My sisters and I are all super sports fans because of him, and to this day we all love to watch and participate in all types of physical activities. We share his sensitive nature (my mom is the tough one) and cannot resist a good reason to have a party.
Joe Robert had a few tenets that he lived by and I often share them when I give lectures to dental groups:
- “A little respect goes a long way.” He treated everyone with equal measures and taught my sisters and
me to do the same. The gas station attendant required the same level of respect as the mayor of the city.
Last week, one of the staff here at the school thanked me for treating him so nicely over my tenure here.
It actually made me sad that others would have treated him in a manner that made him feel less about
himself. - “Whatever you give in this life you get back tenfold.” If you give out good vibes, if you give of your
time, if you give of your money, it will all be returned to you with abundance. He practiced this his
entire life. In fact, when I am in Clarksburg, WV, where my dad lived in the same location from birth
to death, people will come up to me and say: “When I was young, every time I saw your dad he gave
me a dollar bill. I cannot tell you how good that made me feel.” So, to this day, his goodness is being
returned to the lives of my sisters and me. - “If you bend a tree when it is young it will grow up straight.” My parents are the children of
immigrants. We were certainly as far from rich as you could possibly be growing up, yet my sisters
and I have several college degrees as do all of our children. We were raised with expectations, rules
and love, and we have continued these traditions and raised our children the same way—family first,
education, teamwork, giving back with your time and money, and striving to be the best, not just
professionally but as a citizen of world.
So, to each of you, review your tenets for living. Reflection is always meaningful to me. Sometimes it makes
me appreciate a job well done, and other times it shows me where I need to alter my path.
Clara M. Spatafore D.D.S., M.S.
Interim Dean VCU School of Dentistry
Chair Department of Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences
Diplomate American Board of Endodontics