The Tooth Fairy By Angela Griffin

In the midst of our busy, not-stop and very demanding lives, I should have seen this coming. I totally should have been on the lookout for the innocent mistakes that parents are bound to make. But ... like every other busy parent in the universe, galaxy, warp zone or whatever you want to call it, I screwed up big time.

It started on a bright sunny day. I didn�t even realize it happened until hours later. My daughter comes home from school and proudly exclaims that SHE, by herself, has pulled her tooth out at lunch. Oh ... there is definitely excitement. Happiness. No

tears, because this happens to be tooth number two and I didn�t feel the need to get misty eyed this time. I was proud of her and excited for her, because part of the joy of childhood is the mystery, the innocence, the wonderment .... Simply put, she couldn�t wait for the tooth fairy. I thought she was ready for bed from the instant she got home. She KNEW money was coming and there was a slight possibility that she could catch a glimpse of (drum roll here) ... THE TOOTH FAIRY.

The day carried on and we continued to do what we do .... Ballet, time at the gym and then a birthday party. It seems like there is ALWAYS something. We didn�t get home late. The nighttime routine wasn�t any more crazy than usual and the husband and I even managed to fit a movie in before we passed out for the night .... that�s sort of when things went awry.

I woke up ... LATE. The kids were due at school in five minutes and there was NO WAY they were going to make it. Did my alarm not go off? Why didn�t my internal alarm kick in? Why am I such a bad parent? Oh .... the thoughts that were racing thru my head. None of them was focused on my big mess up. I didn�t even realize I messed up.

I woke my daughter in a panic. Instead of the snuggle time turned �tickle until you get out of bed� ... I was in a rush. �Get up Get up .. we�re late!! Mommy overslept and you�re late for school!�. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and smiled her new �missing one tooth� grin and immediately reached for her pillow. �I want to see what the Tooth Fairy brought me!!�. That is when my heart sank. I forgot! Me, her own mother, the one who is there for every milestone, for every happy proud moment, for every heartache .... I FORGOT!! How could I do this to her? How could I? She snatched the pillow away and there, on the bed, was her note to the Tooth Fairy and her plastic baggie with her small tiny tooth. She didn�t cry, but I could tell she didn�t understand. �Mommy, the Tooth Fairy didn�t come�. It then turned into �why didn�t she come?� and �do you think she forgot me?� ... I was so mad at myself! What in the world was wrong with me? While I was enjoying �Law Abiding Citizen� with my man, my daughter had been dreaming of a fairytale and awaiting a dollar under her pillow. I crushed her spirit, her innocence and her excitement. Bad mommy!

All day long I got to hear �What did the Tooth Fairy bring you?� only to cringe as my daughter answered �She didn�t come. I think she forgot.� Her teacher even stopped me on the way out of the school and suggested that I leave our doors unlocked so that the Tooth Fairy would be able to get in. I felt horrible. Sad. Frustrated. Mad at myself. And then I realized I had to get over it because Jayma didn�t really care. She still had her hopes up that the Tooth Fairy would come. And she was okay.

Later that night, while we were sitting in the parking lot of Publix, waiting for Daddy to come out with dinner she whispered to me �I want to tell you a secret�. She then confessed the true reason why the Tooth Fairy did not leave a dollar under her pillow. �I saw her Mommy� she said. �She flew into my room on a dollar, just like it was a magic carpet!�. �Really?� I whispered back ... my eyes as big as saucers and my heart thumping so hard and full of love that I thought it would burst. �Yes!! And do you know what? She had clear sparkly wings and she wore a purple dress with yellow stars and she had blonde hair and a birthday hat!�. We talked all about what she looked like and how big she was and how the dollar served as her magic carpet and I couldn�t wipe the joy off of my face. �But she saw me Mommy and she knew I was awake and I saw her and

she flew under the crack in my door and didn�t leave my dollar! I don�t think she wanted me to tell anyone that I saw her but I had to tell you!! I just had to! Maybe she�ll come back tonight if I don�t wake up. Do you think she will?�. I assured her that I was more than positive she would and to make sure she stayed asleep this time! Inside I was bubbling over, loving her heart, her mind and her wonderful imagination.

That night, the Tooth Fairy made an appearance. She was not witnessed and she left a whopping FIVE DOLLARS for the inexcusable mistake that she had made. Jayma woke up just as excited on day two and her eyes lit up and she smiled so big and jumped up and down when she realized that her �dollar� was really five. �It�s Abraham Lincoln� she said. �It is!� I exclaimed! I didn�t know she knew who was on a five dollar bill.
The moral was, that as bad as I felt, it ended up fine. She was still happy, still excited and still full of joy and wonder .... and my mistake made me see a special part of my little girl. A peek into her vast imagination and sweet little mind. And even though I never thought it could be possible, it made me love her more. I�m not a bad mom. We ALL make mistakes. Life goes on and there can always be joy and wonder.
And who really knows? Maybe she did see the Tooth Fairy ......