My son lost his second front tooth the other day. You know what that means. Lisp while talking, super cute face, and eating apples again...all pointing to the inevitability of growing up. He informed me that all his friends in his class get a buck under their pillow and he only gets 25 cents. He's not sure why the tooth fairy keeps jipping him. So, I tell him that I think the tooth fairy knows he has everything he needs and make up lame excuses, but, he's not buying it because we both know his friends are middle-class rich and have an over-abundance of everything they need as well.
Well the big morning finally happened where he was brave enough to pull it out with his own two unsteady hands. We treated it like a newborn baby all day, and then away it went under his pillow for the fairy. I was all set to slip $1 under his pillow when my husband asked why the inflation. I stopped in my tracks, not feeling like fighting. He said we're setting him up for a keepng-up-with-the-joneses attitude and I'm thinking, I've already disappointed him at least 10 times today. I said "no" to the $80 sneakers, the yoghurt-covered raisins and the movie, what's 75 cents?
So, I put the measly quarter under his pillow.
Morning came quickly with a small whimper as I acted happy for him and he burst into tears because of his huge disappointment.
I don't know why I'm telling this story. Maybe I want you to be on my side.
I'm thinking the disappointment will come in time. I don't think I need to create scenarios so he can learn to be disappointed. I know a mean kid will call him buck teeth. I know he'll feel left out one day when he finds out he didn't get invited to a birthday party. I know some girl will break his little heart. For now, I'd like to spoil him a bit and give him $1 for each tooth that falls out, because I'll only get to do that 16 more times.
And then it was like a mirror was put up to my face and I was looking at all my dollar hopes and dollar dreams. I tried to let go of the nagging feeling that I was putting my hope in things to come, not being thankful for each moment and realizing that there are quarters out there for me to gather. There is Heaven this side of Earth.
But I'm too busy doing the dishes, trying to get rid of stuff because it's past Christmas and the materialism is choking me. Too busy fixing a hair bow, making lunches and worrying about whether or not we're going to sell which house. Too busy sorting and folding the clothes because we have been blessed with too many...while my children pull on my shirt and whisper, "Come look at the sunset", and "Come play dollies", and "Come look at the tree branches as they blow and sway".
Really, truly, I am about to move to a tiny house on a plot of 100 acres, where there is a rolling river and tall trees. We'll bring wooden blocks, a couple of dolls, a few books, a deck of cards and a bag of clothes. My husband even looks like a lumberjack lately.
May your day be filled with quarters from our God above, and maybe, just maybe you can put them together in a basket to make a few dollars.
