Finding A Shark's Tooth

When you are looking for a shark's tooth, the most important thing to remember is this: 
do not give up.

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The family legend, according to my father, is that after the movie "Jaws" came out in 1975, the popular must-have item was a shark tooth necklace.  And he had to have one, but apparently, he wasn't alone.  Every other Bee Gees listening, side-burns wearing, hot blooded American guy was after one too.  (I've seen the photos of my father circa 1970s and, well, bless his heart...)

One thing you have to know about my dad is that when he gets his mind set on something, he is relentless.  You might as well go with it because he won't give in.  And, after seeing the movie, he got it into his mind that he had to have a shark's tooth necklace.  "Jaws" - to the credit of Mr. Steven Spielberg - captivated and terrorized nearly every moviegoer, coastal resident, and beach visitor across the globe.  Living just about 20 miles from Ocean City, my family was no different.  I wasn't born then - I came along four years later - but I can only imagine how people visiting the beach that summer of 1975 must have wearily eyeballed the ocean, searching for signs of a massive beast or a tell-tale fin.

So, my father took my mother from store to store, town to town, coast to coast, looking for his shark's tooth.  Finally, after what my mother deemed "forever", he found his shark tooth necklace.  I can only imagine him, skinny as a rail, wearing flared out red denim jeans, and beaming proudly with a shark's tooth dangling around his neck.  And, I can solidly imagine my mother's sheer relief that he finally found it.

The hunt had been so significant that it permanently etched itself into the canon of our family's narrative.  In the years that followed, whenever someone was on the hunt for something and not having much success in finding it, we referred to whatever that item was as a "shark's tooth".  We often laughed about it, but we all knew how the shark tooth story worked out so there is always hope.

If you keep looking, tirelessly and without a thought of quitting, then you can find the most amazing things. 

Today, my father took me to lunch and, when we were done smashing ourselves full of nachos and burritos, he handed me a gold box. With a knowing grin, he said, "I want you to have this." 

I carefully removed the lid and stared down at a large, fossilized shark's tooth.  It took up most of my palm and I turned it over in my fingers.  It is the coolest thing I've seen in a while and I'm enamored with it. The sides are sharp; the point is vicious.  We joked that there's no way anyone should wear it as a necklace for fear of stabbing themselves and needing stitches!  

Maybe it was the curious look on my face that lead him to explain the gift.  He took a deep breath and said that he knew I was searching to find a deeper meaning in the turmoil that I've been navigating for the past several months.  He didn't want me to lose hope.  He promised me that my shark's tooth was out there... the answer and the reason.  If I needed a reminder, then just look at it and know in my heart that there is more for me out on the horizon.  

I stared intently at the smooth shard of bone in my hand.  I knew what he was trying to tell me. In his own way.  He was telling me to stay the course.  He was nudging me forward.  And he was telling me this: you have to be relentless and you'll find what you're looking for.

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(PS - Thanks, Dad.)