Tooth Fairy

About every three years, whether it needs it or not (and it usually does need it), I clean up my bookshelves. They get cluttered with books that I have read, started reading or just bought and never read. Lots of books about getting organized, being a better person, how-to books that I never even opened. I think I try to get organized by osmosis. Anyway, after awhile, the shelves start filling up and the dust starts collecting. When I start cleaning up, it is close to the beginning of the year but it is not a New Year's Resolution. It is just coincidental.

Besides books, I have lots of pictures and knick-knacks on the shelves. Many of them are there to keep the books standing up. I have at least a dozen coffee cups that are mementos from all sorts of events. Four from the Iron Star Triathlon in Conroe, one from my 30 year high school reunion, and one from the Admirals Club in Chicago. If there was a Precious Moments collection for Caffeine, I would have a good start. One of the items on my shelf is a small ceramic statue shaped like the number 1, it's painted gold and at the bottom it says "#1 Dad". My daughter gave it to me for Father's Day way back when she was pre-school. I have always kept it within site. As I was moving it to scrape the dust off the shelf, there was a rattling sound from inside. I shook it again, and the rattling sound happened again, almost like a BB was in there. I did not have to look or shake it again, I knew what it was. It was a tooth.

Long ago, when Kelly was 3 or 4, she lost this tooth. As was the tradition in our family, we told her about the Tooth Fairy. If she left that tooth under her pillow, the Tooth Fairy would come in the middle of the night and leave her a gift in exchange for the tooth. That night, she put the tooth under her pillow and went to sleep. Unfortunately, our Tooth Fairy was an irresponsible one. The Tooth Fairy forgot. It was my habit to leave for work very early in the morning before everyone was awake. I got about 10 miles from the house when it dawned on me that I was supposed to play "Tooth Fairy". This was before cell phones; I could not call Ro and have her take over Tooth Fairy duty. All I could do was turn around, speed back home and hope that I made it back before Kelly woke up. I drove like a maniac to get back home. I was in luck, no one was awake. As I made my way through the house, I pulled a dollar bill out of my wallet and walked into Kelly's bedroom. She was just starting to wake up. Very coolly, I said "Good Morning, Sweetie", slid my hand under her pillow, exchanged the tooth and dollar, kissed her good morning, and told her to have a great day. I eased on out of her room, out of the house and back in my car. I pulled off all of this in about 3 minutes. Without even thinking about it, I had put the tooth into my pocket and drove into work.
Later in the day, I tried to pay for my coffee with fifty cents and a tiny incisor tooth. I could not bring myself to throw the tooth away; I had no idea what to do with it. Desk drawer? No. Paper clip tray? No. Pencil holder? No. Small ceramic statue shaped like the number 1? YES! And so, for the last 27 years, that statue has moved from desk to desk as I changed jobs. And the tooth has moved with it.
Is it sentimental? Or, is it just weird for hanging on to body parts?