As somewhat of a reluctant “Facebooker,” a friend, aware of this, emailed me the link to a story she thought I might enjoy. Curious, I clicked on the link and found myself reading a moving account about a sympathetic middle-aged man and a crying girl who had lost her doll. I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s a brief (266 words) post that’s worth experiencing for yourself. Read it here.
The girl’s unexpected encounter with Franz Kafka reminded me of an experience of my own.
““Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way.””
As a primary school teacher, I too, had a memorable encounter with a sobbing child. I had just entered my Grade 1 classroom when I was immediately met with the sound of crying. I soon discovered one of my students, in tears. When I asked her what was wrong, she explained through sobs that she had lost her baby tooth and wouldn’t be able to place it under her pillow for the Tooth Fairy. I knew the day would be ruined for her, and maybe even for all of us, if I didn’t find a way to solve her dilemma. Then, inspiration struck.
I suggested that the Tooth Fairy would probably accept a letter from her teacher, explaining the situation and requesting the fairy accept the note in place of the missing tooth. The sobs stopped, the tears dried, and a smile returned to the girl’s face. I quickly wrote the letter and asked her to carefully tuck it into her book bag.
The next day, she came into class bubbling with excitement and handed me a thank-you note from the Tooth Fairy. It turned out her mother had played along, showing her gratitude for my creative solution.
Did this article spark any memories for you?
-Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ
Franz Kafka was a German-speaking Bohemian writer born in Prague in 1883, and he is widely considered one of the most influential authors of the 20th century.