Ah, the tooth fairy!! No, we don't believe in Santa Claus in our house... but the tooth fairy remains part of the reality of our family's life. Lena is in first grade now, and has lost a total of 7 teeth. The previous six had been in Armonk, where the tooth fairy faithfully came during the night and replaced a precious baby tooth with a few dollar bills. Well, faithfully except for that night that Mommy and Daddy forgot to leave the door unlocked and the tooth fairy couldn't come in!! When we discovered our mistake in the morning (big whoops...) Mommy and Daddy were very upset with the tooth fairy, until we found a letter for Lena from her in the mailbox!!! She came and took the tooth the next night. Tooth fairy perseveres!
This past week Lena came home from school with a tooth necklace around her neck, and prepared a letter for the tooth fairy and put the necklace under her pillow. Though exhausted, she tossed and turned until around 9pm. I asked her what was wrong, and she said she didn't think that the doorman downstairs would let the tooth fairy up to our apartment! She wouldn't be able to get in to take Lena's tooth that evening!! So what did Mommy do? I called the doorman of course and gave permission for him to let in the tooth fairy that night up to our apartment! Soon Lena fell fast asleep, comforted that all would be well, and when she awoke she had a hand-written letter from the tooth fairy and a few dollars. Phew! I guess we can figure anything out in the city?
This sweet evening caused many smiles amongst my family and friends-- sweet Lena, still believing in the tooth fairy, and anxious about her new surroundings and if the tooth fairy could find her/ be let into the building! It got me thinking about the power of belief and faith in our lives. We ask our children to believe in all sorts of things-- the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, that the princesses in Disney World are really the same ones in the animated movies-- while often having trouble believing in much ourselves. Do we ask them to believe in God? What is the God that we want them to believe in like? And how can we translate what we believe (or don't believe) about God to something understandable to the trusting little people in our lives.
Similes and metaphors can help-- God is like love-- you can't see love, but you sure can feel it and know it's there. God is also like the wind, invisible to us but clear in its effects on the world. Just like the wind moves the trees, God moves good people in the world to make the world a better place.
Sometimes also just being a loving, consistent presence in your child's life tho can help them with belief. They believe in YOU and your love and faith in them. That belief goes a long way into creating a wonderful, loving human being.
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