November 2008

President’s Podium

My son, Liam, just lost his first tooth.  All day he complained that his ‘tooth was peeling’.  I thought he meant his lip and kept checking it only to find nothing - until bedtime when it occurred to me what he actually might be talking about.  By that time, I touched the ’peeling’ tooth in question and it fell right into my hand.

I’ve already got two zip lock baggies full of teeth – one for my daughter, Meghan, and believe it or not, one for my Golden Retriever, Finn.  When he was a pup, I’d find his little puppy teeth embedded in a shoe or a slipper and once in the new curtains I’d just hung.  What do you do with these little found treasures?  Not wanting to throw them out, I picked them up and tucked them away – for what future use – I don’t know.  If you saved every penny you’d found, eventually you’d have a few dollars but in this instance all I will ever have is a baggie full of teeth.  Why do we do such things?  Like save baby teeth? 

It didn’t take much pondering before I realized the reason:  It is because they are little measures of time.  Little milestones in the lives of our children – proof that our 5, 12, 17, or 30 year olds were once little babies.  Little collections of baby teeth – proof that WE, at one time, were the only ones in the world for that child, the only ones that could quiet their cry, offer a breast to their suckling, milky, little mouth, carefully bathe them in warm sudsy water, or whisper our messages of love into their baby ears while gently rocking them to sleep.  

Like a thief in the night our busy lives sometimes rob us of a collection of many, many moments, adding up to months, years, that should have been more thoughtfully savored.  When our wee ones are grown, we’ll have kindergarten crafts and photos, videotapes and handprints, baby books and bags of teeth….

None of those things can outdo the NOW.  If it takes daily reminding, hourly reminding - it’s worth it.  We’ve been abundantly blessed and to whom much is given, much is expected.  The Nassau County Mothers of Twins Club and all that it offers: friendships, events, play-dates, memories – SUPPORT…acts as a lifeline, a rope, lasso-ing us back to this simple reality.  Live in the NOW.

May this Thanksgiving be spent with happy, healthy, family enjoying each other and remembering just how incredibly blessed we all are.  :o)

Peace, Love & Twins,

Mary Grace Roach

President NCMOTC