For many parents, the transition into an empty nest might feel uncertain. Eventually, there comes a moment when life suddenly looks a little different. For Ericka Lyman, that transition became an opportunity not to slow down, but to rediscover herself in entirely new ways.
Today, around her son Dr. Austin Lyman’s dental practice, she is affectionately known as “The Cookie Lady,” a title that has become synonymous with warmth, kindness, and homemade treats shared throughout the surrounding dental community.
According to Dr. Lyman, “Our office is unique to the area. We are a small family business in dental, more specifically oral surgery, in a world of growing corporations and group practices. We set out to introduce ourselves to our dental office neighbors in hopes of establishing a cooperative relationship. In a neighborly fashion, we thought to bring a tasty treat. Instead of catering or ordering from a food franchise that may reflect the impersonal corporate nature we live in today, we considered bringing homemade cookies in order to show the personal approach to care that our family brings to the Practice every day.”
As Dr. Lyman reflects on his mother’s journey, one thing stands out clearly: Ericka has always found a way to grow and move forward. When Dr. Lyman finished college, Mom decided to go to college herself. Later, when he completed graduate school, she pursued graduate school as well. Rather than viewing motherhood as the end of her own ambitions, she treated each phase of family life as an opportunity to evolve personally and professionally.
That strong mindset helped shape Ericka’s career as a dental hygienist, eventually leading her to where she is today.
Then, Ericka Lyman created something uniquely her own. She began making chocolate chip cookies for her son’s dental office and neighboring offices.
“Before setting out to bring cookies to other dental offices, Ericka obtained a certification in food handling. Some asked why we spent the time, and our reply was that we wanted to recognize the professionalism behind food service craft while conveying the trust, affection and care that we put into our relationships with the patients and dental offices,” said Dr. Lyman.
Inside the practice today, Ericka’s presence is impossible to miss. Each week, she bakes fresh homemade cookies not only for Dr. Lyman’s office, but for other dental offices as well. What began as a thoughtful gesture gradually turned into a beloved tradition.
In many ways, the cookies became more than desserts. They are a way to make and grow connections.
While Dr. Lyman provides care through dentistry, Ericka offers something equally memorable: comfort, familiarity, and a reminder that small gestures still matter. Together, they have created an environment that feels less like a business and more like a community, one homemade cookie at a time, or in office-espresso.
When they aren’t working, you can find Dr. Lyman and Erica enjoy local pop-up markets, traveling or walking through a local park.
According to Dr. Lyman, “We actually went the other day to get a mani-pedi. The opportunity to sit back, kick the feet up and bond together with a treat was a refreshing moment.”
Retirement for Ericka Lyman was never about slowing down. Instead, it became an opportunity to rediscover purpose, deepen relationships, and create meaningful moments through simple acts of kindness. What started as homemade cookies for neighboring dental offices evolved into something much greater — connection, community, and care that people genuinely remember. In a world that often feels rushed and impersonal, the Lyman's are proving that small gestures still matter. To learn more about Dr. Austin Lyman’s practice visit his office at 7170 University Pkwy, Sarasota FL 34240.
"Retirement became an opportunity not to slow down, but to rediscover purpose, deepen relationships, and create meaningful moments through simple acts of kindness.”
"Instead of catering or ordering from a food franchise that may reflect the impersonal corporate nature we live in today, we considered bringing homemade cookies in order to show the personal approach to care that our family brings to the Practice every day.”
Sometimes life’s sweetest chapters begin after the roles we thought defined us end. Ericka Lyman’s story is a reminder that purpose, connection, and reinvention can happen at any stage of life — often through the smallest acts of kindness.