The Day I Goofed About the Tooth-Fairy

The day "Scrawny" finally lost her first tooth, was the day she discovered the existence of cloud nine. Truth be told, I don't think she cared that much for the darn tooth. I think she was calculating the potential financial reward from this event. In fact, I am unequivocally positive that in her mind, she believed she was about to start raking in some serious mucho dinero like her Big Sister.

“Mom, do you think I’d at least get 10 bucks like Sidney?” She asked, with a big grin.
“Well, it depends on how much the Tooth-Fairy thinks your tiny tooth is worth.” I teased.

That evening, Daddoo and Kid Sid collaborated. Into an envelope, they tossed a ten-dollar bill and crafted a handwritten note that read…
“Mikala, thank you for the tooth,
Sincerely, Lucy-The Tooth Fairy”

“How did she know my name?” I overheard her asking her Dad the following morning, as she read the note out loud…again...and again!
“The same way Santa Clause knows who'd been good and who'd been bad?” I replied with a mischievous smirk.

Several months later, while she and "Furr-ball" were goofing around in my Jewelry Box, she(conveniently)found a pearly object that resembled…what? Yep, you guessed it. Her lost tooth! By the time she was done grilling me, I had no other recourse, save for the bitter truth! And when she asked, “Does this mean that Santa Clause is not real either?” I thought there was no better timing than right then, to come clean. Yep, it broke my heart and hers. But the truth, they say, shall set you free!

It's a Great Day to be Alive!

Not to worry, I'm not about to start break dancing to that country hit by Travis Tritt. Earlier this morning an email from an old friend (whom I had not seen in over two decades) brought a few tears to my eyes. The message convicted me. The message reminded me that I had not been walking the talk.The message brought me to my knees. I asked God to forgive me for all my trespasses; particularly for being downright mean to Kid Sid-my teenage daughter the day before. Why? That's another can of Frijoles Negro. Right now, I am going to print, laminate and stick a short poem I had written long ago on our refrigerator. Afterward, I'll swing by Target to pick up a copy of " J14" (her favorite magazine). I believe I owe her an apology.
P.S Please feel free to snag if "Today" speaks to you or for you.

T O D A Y
Today-I will be Kind, Gentle and Tenderhearted.

Today-I will be Patient, Tolerant and Forgiving.
I will Speak without Raising my Voice.
I will NOT Scold, Belittle, or Ridicule.
I will Reach Out; Lend a Hand, a Shoulder, or an Ear.
I make no promises about Tomorrow; it may never come.
Today -I choose to Stand up for Good,
Even if I have to Stand Alone.
Today is a GIFT from GOD!
What are you going to do with it?

A Little White Lie Goes a Long Way...

Daddoo and I were on our way back from an evening stroll, when we noticed a man walking away from our front door.
"May we help you?" I asked.
He said he was from True Green Lawn Care Company and was just making his rounds in our family-friendly subdivision.
"By the way," he added, "You have trained your daughter well. She told me to come back later because her parents were taking a nap."

Later, after chastising kid sid for answering the doorbell in the first place (which she'd been cautioned not to), I asked, "So, why did you lie to that man?"
"Dad does it all the time!" She replied.
"Really?"
“Remember that time Aunt Bubba called while Dad was watching “American Idol” and he said to tell her he went jogging?"
"Young Lady, you need to do as we say not as we do."
"And you guys need to lead by example."
She was absolutely right! Children live what they learn.

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