Nova and the tooth fairy

There are moments in life in which the perception of one self suddenly shifts. Losing your first milk tooth is one of those moments. Nova's (our daughter - it feels weird to write "our" or "have" since we do not possess a person but I couldn't find another short conventional way to express the relationship) journey through this transition paints a canvas full of symbolic references and might point at themes that transcend her individual experience.

I leave the transcendent part to you and just tell her story as I saw it unfolding.

Nova was well aware that soon one of her tooth will fall, a friend at pre-school had already proudly showed her new gap as a definitive evidence of her step forward.

One day, Nova felt that a tooth was much looser than it was supposed to be. She showed it to us and asked us to move it ourself. The intimacy and connection in this ritual was palpable.

She was both scared and excited about the wiggling tooth. Then, the novelty turned into a present reality to face, the sign of an unstable equilibrium. Always moving, strong and fragile at the same time, still there albeit only for a while. Nova kept on keeping tab on it and slowly the ceremonial sharing of the news turned into a private matter. The hanging tooth was there only for her and for no one else.

Suddenly, just after our dinner, we got to check on it. The tooth was in fact already loose just waiting to be released. A gentle tap and a soft letting go. In a breath, the tooth was not a part of Nova's body anymore after a whole life together. A split from the whole that transformed it instantaneously into a lifeless external object. Nova was excited about holding a previous part of her body in her hands and at the same point she felt the weight of the milestone. Everyone in the room celebrated the moment with her and respected the sacredness of the tooth. The most beautiful glass in the flat was picked, filled with fresh water ready to welcome the tooth into its next temporary home. Holding it lightly as a thank you for the journey spent together. Now, Nova could look directly at it without a mirror and in her own way honor its contribution to her life.

An old, used and now external part of Nova gave space to a new part of herself to emerge. The new tooth was already there, just hidden under the surface, formed and not visible. Patiently waiting and pushing to emerge. Nova was aware only of the old tooth and somehow had to trust that something new will emerge in its own way, already shaped for her, ready for her future.

During the night, the tooth fairy came and transformed the old tooth into presents. The fairy joined in bringing gifts from the world that could only arrive after letting go. Morning came and Nova was excited about the presents. However, for a few minutes before basking in the brightness of her excitement, she was asking us why did the fairy take her tooth in exchange. We said that for something new to come, something else had to go.

And, a few hours later, Nova asked us if it was really a fairy that did all of that. We answered that it was us that did all of it but inspired by the symbol of the tooth fairy. For a short time, turning into a happy vehicle for the intuition and inspiration coming from the symbolic world.

Nova nodded, looked at us, and didn't ask anything else; time to play.