Wednesday, November 08, 2006

tooth fairy tracks


My grandfather took this shot, at a lovely little nothing of a weekend shack that he and my grandmother had on Discovery Bay on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.

I love the light of it.
That sofa.
The memory of that place.

The thought of my Bompa pulling focus and firing the shutter.

I was probably four here and, it would seem, a mouth-breather.

My sister’s tooth was loose.

Later she would lose it and, in the morning light, my father would show us the wrinkled tracks that the tooth fairy left on the bed sheets when she visited in the night.

I didn’t know then that his marriage to my mother was on the rocks. Or maybe I did.

And maybe I was just beginning to suspect how big the world was, how impossible it would be to get my arms around it all, how vast continents would remain forever out of reach, and just how completely that would break my heart.

5 comments:

heather lorin said...

Love these old photos of you...and if you have to be a mouth-breather at least you were a cute one ;)

anniemcq said...

This made me cry. As a mom, I put myself behind your bompa's eyes and see exactly what he wanted to capture. Children glow, and grown-ups wish that could last forever. Don't ever stop connecting to that wonder, friend. It's where your art comes from.

Lisa Johnson said...

Beautiful picture and story. There is something about the time where we lose our teeth...

Lolabola* said...

I laughed when I read this because I am currently a mouth-breather due to a cold.
very cute photo

suttonhoo said...

lol, lola -- get better!

thanks for the great comments, guys -- anniemcq, you old softie, you. (and yes: I promise.)

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