Wouldja look at that!

Oh, the drama involved with the first lost tooth!

"you pull it, Mama...no, stop. it hurts too much...I can't do it! This loose tooth is driving me crazy!(me too!) How am I supposed to eat that with my tooth like this?!"

All evening it went like that. By the end of the evening I was ready to pull my own front tooth! After much fussing and wussing about blood and 'pulled muscles' she went up and stood firmly in front of the mirror with a wad of toilet paper in each hand. A few minutes later she explained: "I just stood there and pulled the last muscle and the tooth came right out! It didn't even hurt!"(yeah, right. what was the whole evening about anyway?)



Then there was the whole discussion of the tooth's (and maybe the whole experience's) worth. And where to put the tooth to be sure to get her money's worth. And what if she was awake when the Tooth Fairy came (You keep the tooth, I keep the $1) We don't believe in Santa Clause Mom, so why the Tooth Fairy? (Good question and I don't want to go into it right now.) And what would Papa say? What is going to happen to the tooth? Can I keep it and the $1? (Nope--if I pay for something, I better get to keep that something)

So much turmoil over a little tooth. And it is so little.

Could there be a lesson here? Something small and irritating in your life making you a little crazy? Wouldn't it just be better for you to yank it and let it go?

And on again this morning: "I can't believe I actually lost a tooth! I can hardly tell...see? you can't see it when I smile"

You won't even notice when it's gone and the absence of that small irritation will leave room for greater growth and be a mark of maturity among your peers.