Mom...... I got a tattoo.
Before you sharpen the butcher knife for my left arm, hear me out.
For 40 years I have worn some pretty deep scars on my left arm. So for the next 40 I decided to wear some pretty flowers that no one questions. It was a daily occurrence that someone asked me " what happened to your arm?" Most of the times it was a child. I admire their courage to ask and got a kick out of their expression when I would say " when you get Chicken Pox and your Mom says don't pick that...... Don't pick it. " That is really how I got the scars. A deep hole from a chicken pox!!
I never told my parents that every year, when the new school year started, I would get the call to meet with the school councilor to ' just chat '. " Sooooooo how is life at home? Did your parents do that to you? Is it a cigarette burn?" And later as a 'rebellious' teen " did you do that to your arm? Do you cut?" The look of bewilderment on their faces when I say " uh it's a chicken pox scar" is priceless.
It could be worse. I always told my mom I was gonna get a tattoo of a horse walking away, with his tail raised, and the deep round scar placed just below his tail!!!
Now that I am a mother, and a grandmother I have decided I should heed my own advice.
Stand up for what you believe. You are beautiful on the inside first and on the outside second. And my favorite advice.... Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, smallness or insecurities, remember things could be worse....You could be them.
The tattoo has symbolism for me. The large flower represents Jim, the smaller two, my sons Devin and Cody and the smallest flower is my grandson Jamisen.
I worried about what my mom would say or think only because I love and respect her. I worry about doing anything to let her down. I don't think there is enough space on the Internet for me to write all the little things I have done that might have let her down. So I guess I add to the list and keep on living day by day.
Mom......I got a tattoo. I am OK with it. And I think God will think I am OK, too.
And they ARE addicting. I've even been thinking where would I get the next one. I've got some pretty nasty stretch marks from having babies, so I was thinking a road map of Tennessee across my belly would cover that. Breathe Mom.... Breathe!!!! I am just kidding about that one!
