I have tattoos. To some of you, that might come as a surprise considering the look of my site and stories. I love my two small pieces of body art. They each tell a story that I am reminded of each day.

My youngest son, Nic, inspired me to get inked. He is a true artist by every sense of the word. He has a creative mind, embraces a free and liberal spirit, is extremely talented with various mediums, and has even won awards for some of his pieces. He got his first tattoo at age 17 and his body is a canvas, of sorts, for his expressive thoughts and a reminder of obstacles he overcame. Inking your body permanently is something that I, personally, didn’t take lightly and knew what I chose would be something that I could never tire of looking at. 

My first one is on the wrist of my left hand and is an outline of a small sun and a small crescent moon, side-by-side. It’s a representation of my kids who are, of course, the joys of my life. My oldest was born on a frigid, sunny January morning, representing the sun. My youngest was born on a warm, spring night represented by the moon. The opposite symbols also remind me that although they physically look different, have contrasting personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, they share the same values, intelligence, and have big hearts.

My second tattoo is on the inside of my right ankle. It’s the number 161 followed by a simple outlined heart. Nic drew this one for me which truly makes it one of a kind. 161 was the house number of my childhood home. (Check out my post on March 26 that tells the story of our house.) After my mom passed away in 2012 and my dad in 2019, I knew I wanted to get another symbol that represented both of them and their gift of all the memories they created for me in that house, the one that they brought me home to after I was born. This tattoo stands for everything I love about my mom, dad, siblings, and the comfort of my upbringing. 

I was in my late 40’s when I got my first tattoo with absolutely no regrets! I never thought in a million years I would be making such a decision that will be with me, literally, for the rest of my life. I love the simplicity of both my tiny works of art and, certainly the stories that I will carry with me forever.