What it means to me

Last week I did a thing.

I had been thinking about getting a tattoo for about four years.  Mark and I were going to get matching small ones, but we just never got around to it.  In a way, I'm glad of that. It got to be something I did on my own.

On the recommendation of a friend, I booked the appointment.  The day of, I met the tattoo artist, who sketched the size out on my arm, then worked on the design for about an hour while I ran an errand.  Here are my inspiration pics, also by her:

Love the floral combo

Love the placement

She placed the mock-up on my arm, taking into consideration that I will add on to it someday, and sketched some ideas around it.  Then she got to work.

Three meticulous hours later, she finished up, covered it with a tegaderm, and sent me on my way.

I was too excited about it not to take pics to show!  But the dressing stayed on a full two days, at which time I gently removed it and have been keeping it clean, and moisturized with some heavy duty Aquaphor.

Its actually hard to get a good pic of it!

But I think that's OK - I see it every day and its not for anyone but me.

So what does it mean to me?

I see it as a manifestation of my new reality.  I am on my own, but I want to remember everything that has brought me to this place in life while I move forward to the next phase.  "Expect the Best" is something Mark told all of us, often.  I want to be intentional about inviting positivity and happiness into my present life, even as I reconcile the pain and grief of loss.

A gentle and beautiful reminder to myself.

Gina