I don't know how each of you feels about letting kids believe in things like Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy. I must confess that I fall in the middle. I think its good for children to be brought up and taught the truth, but at the same time I want to let kids be kids. I want their imaginations to run. I want them to feel awe and wonder in things small and large. I want them to get caught up in stories and dream. So often our kids miss out on these opportunities. Too often, they are forced to grow up too fast, to lose their inocence and wonder in life. We look for ways to help them build that wonder into their childhoods. We use things like play and stories, crafts and experiments, and trips out of the orphanages to experience new things.
A couple of years ago, a young boy, Doro, lost a tooth. I started telling him about the tooth fairy. Half-way through my story I realized that I might have made a mistake. Doro is the kind of boy, who, after hearing that story, would put his tooth under his pillow to see what happens. At the orphanage nothing would happen. So, at the end of the story, I said, "but the Tooth Fairy only comes to Americans." I took his tooth home and then next time I saw him, gave him a few lei and he was thrilled. I thought I might have started something, but time passed with no one else telling me they'd lost a tooth. Then, last fall, a little girl, Nicoleta, came to me and asked if I could put her tooth under my pillow. I couldn't believe that close to two years later, she still remembered! I took her tooth and brought her a few lei. Now it has caught on! It is rare to look in my pockets or purse and not find a tooth, but I love the wonder that I see in their eyes. Through moments like these we build love into their lives, and as they learn to trust our love, they become more open to the love of Christ.
