Gap Toothed Smiles

My 7 year old recently lost one of her top middle teeth.  Those top middle teeth are my favorites, when they fall out because I find that gap tooth smile to be quite adorable.

I’ve pondered the gap tooth smile recently, and realize that they truly illustrate growing up.  That stage of life when you lose your baby teeth, but yet aren’t quite ready for the grown up teeth.  It leaves gaps.  Holes that need to be grown into and filled.  This of course takes time, as growing up does and so you often find yourself with gaps…you aren’t a baby, but your not an adult… you don’t have all you need yet… these stages can be cute, and frustrating… and sometimes they seem to be filled in the blink of an eye and other times, as a parent you wonder if those gaps will ever fill…. 

While I only have one child right now with a gap tooth smile, I have several that are living in the gaps of growing up…. and I know that while their smiles don’t provide that visible reminder that they aren’t there yet, their actions, and attitudes and emotions do… and I try to remind myself to savor those gaps, to find the precious innocence in them and to gently guide them  to that next stage in growing up.