For the first 50 years of my life, my perfectionist self mistakenly believed it was all about knowing more, getting it right, planning, attempting to prevent bad things from happening, and keeping all of my chicks in a row. It took me this long to discover that the JOURNEY is all that matters. This quote from Gilda Radner sums it all up:

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
"


Thursday, March 29, 2012

The "Snaggle Tooth" Gene


We all have something about ourselves that we wish we could change, I'm sure.
Ever since my adult teeth grew in, I've been self-conscious about a tooth right next to my front teeth that is crooked.  If I was born in later times, I probably would have had braces to straighten my teeth.
But back then, you only got braces if your teeth were really bad.  And my problem was just one tooth!


Whenever possible, I would try to turn my head so that ugly tooth wouldn't show in pictures.

 In this picture with Vance shortly after we were married, I made sure my tooth didn't show. 
Vance called it my "snaggle tooth".

Over the years, teeth shift and get pushed closer together.
Over time, it became less and less noticeable.

By the time my kids were in grade school, I didn't really worry about it anymore!

As I've been going through old family photos, I saw the following picture:
This is a picture of my father (right) with his sister and brother in his younger days.
Take a look at his "snaggle tooth".
 The same tooth but on the opposite side of the face!

 His teeth must have changed over the years too, because I don't remember his "snaggle tooth".

Is it wierd that I somehow feel connected to my Dad through our "snaggle" teeth?
It's a part of him that is in me, and it's nice to think about that!
It must be in the genes.

I wonder if it will show up in future generations?

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