Faith and the Tooth Fairy and such...

circa 1984

I was rummaging through an old drawer the other day and came across several baby teeth.  I can’t remember what I was originally looking for, but finding the teeth was the delight of my day.  As I held those small pearls in my hand I remembered creeping into a quiet bedroom listening for rhythmic breathing.  Satisfied that you were asleep I would make my way across to the bed.  Then, gently pressing my hand into the mattress so as to not disturb the pillow I would slowly feel for the tiny parcel, exchanging it for the customary dollar bill.  All the while you slept with the faith of a child.  You knew what you would find when you lifted your pillow the next morning.  You would come to breakfast and I would wait for you to run up to me with a delighted smile, waving the bill.  I’m not sure that ever happened.  I would wait, and then after a time I would ask, “So, did the tooth fairy come last night?”

“Yes,” you would say.  That was all.  Yes.  You knew she would come, so why act surprised?  As I think of this scene, you are at first a freckle faced son, and then a curly haired daughter, and finally a tow headed son.  The characters may have changed, but the scene remained the same.  You all showed your faith in the tooth fairy and the tooth fairy came through.

No one ever questioned how the fairy would come.  How did she know about the lost tooth?  What did she want with it anyway?  Did you never wonder what she looked like?  I suppose not.  Maybe you played along with the game knowing all the while that it was your father or me who crept into your bedroom at night.  I don’t know about that, but I do know that there was a surety of the whole process.  You had faith, you didn’t doubt, and the reward always came.

I miss those times.  I miss watching you grow and change.  I miss the seasons and years that are marked by new school clothes and dressing up for Halloween and first dates.  But mostly I miss the lessons that you taught me every day.  And I miss seeing your daily acts of faith.  You showed faith in me, faith in the tooth fairy, faith in yourselves and faith in each other.  And now that you’ve found your own paths in the world I know with a surety that you will continue to live your lives with richness, eager to explore and take chances.  I know that you bless those who know you just as you have blessed me.  Thank you for believing in the tooth fairy.  Thank you for believing in me. 

I believe in you.