I was born with a gap between my two front teeth. Looking back at pictures of my marvelous mother, I noticed she had a gap as well. My wife and I have opted to look into the 23andme DNA studies, and one of the questions of her was, “do you have a gap between your two front teeth”. Armed with this information and a lifetime of tight lipped smiling, I ponder the meaning of “the Gap”.
The French call gapped teeth “dents du bonheur” or “lucky teeth”. Some folks use them for party tricks, seeing who can shoot water the farthest. Others think that gapped teeth are mysterious, having links to the animal world. Some say gapped teeth give you a sense of humor, while others think they are the height of fashion, especially today. There are myriad products on the market to “close the gap” or “hide the gap”, which suggests a level of shame. Everyone has their own ideas which keeps me searching and searching.
Today, on Facebook, the above photo flashed out at me, as I scrolled the days posts, and the meaning of “the Gap” came crystal clear to me. Gaps are beautiful. Don’t you agree?
