Toothie

Today I threw away my teeth.

My parents have been cleaning out their home, and relieving themselves of my childhood worldly goods.  Every time I see my parents, they have at least a shopping bag full, and sometimes a truckload of things to give me.

Usually I tell them to throw it all away before they bring it over.  But they don't listen.  I have unearthed a few treasures: a topographical map of California that I made of salt dough that I made in 4th grade; all of the programs from all of the piano recitals that I ever played in; every valentine that I saved from my classmates in grades K-8; a gold necklace from my high school boyfriend; my teeth.  All of my baby teeth, 4 adult molars, and 3 extracted wisdom teeth.

I've been saving my children's teeth in baggies in my drawer when I play tooth fairy.  Paul thinks it's gross, and tells me to throw them away.  Until now, it's felt somewhat sinful to throw them away- I might as well throw away one of their fingers!  But, upon receipt of this package of my old teeth, I know that throwing their teeth away is the right thing to do.  There's no 33 year old out there that wants their baby teeth.

This is why I felt somewhat virtuous when this morning I helped the girls throw away the majority of the schoolwork that they've been hoarding.  It has been an interesting process for me going through my old stuff.  If I had never seen it, if I had never known it existed, I would be a much happier person.  I wish that my parents really had thrown away all of my things without bringing it over- gold necklace notwithstanding.  Opening up these Pandora's boxes of mementos from my past is a difficult thing to do.  I don't really want all of the stuff.  I have no need for my geometry notebook, notes passed between friends in middle school, the signed script from my 6th grade play, misspelled Kindergarten work, or hand prints from when I was 5.  Or is this the measure of my life?  Paper objects that add up to a whole?  Hopefully no one ever needs to write a biography about me, because they won't have much to work with.  I've made myself be at peace with leaving my past behind.