The Tooth Fairy forgot. Not once, but twice. Two nights in a row, she forgot to visit the bedside pillow of my oldest daughter. And to know immediately that it was forgotten again first thing in the morning is…sigh…heartbreaking.
Let’s see: I’m tired, working too much, not feeling well, busy, too much on my mind, forgetful, careless, overwhelmed – which reason should I use? And how many explanations can the Tooth Fairy leave – hurt wings, full weekend of lost teeth, ran out of fairy dust?
No excuses, the Tooth Fairy shouldn’t forget. And she’ll feel guilty for a long time over this one. Granted, my daughter lost her tooth during a sleepover, so already the Tooth Fairy had fair warning (gosh, that was an extra day of disappointment, I guess). And in all honesty, I’m sure my daughter’s onto who the Tooth Fairy is (along with Santa and the Easter Bunny); she just doesn’t want to miss out on the treats. But my guilt lies in the demonstration that it just wasn’t a priority, at least not to me, and that makes me sad. It makes me want to get more rest. To get off the computer. To pay attention to what’s important to her.
And maybe that’s my Tooth Fairy lesson. Keep the magic alive. It’s not there for long, so don’t screw it up. Make memories, and make them memorable. BE the Tooth Fairy.
