ink or tatoos

the day has come that i thought i would never see.... my mother got a tatoo.

when my brothers and i decided to permanetly mark ourselves, my mother was absolutley mortified. she could not fathom feeling so strongly about something or someone to mark yourself forever with ink, or at least until she met my cooper.

strength, a fathers face, fearlessness, truth, patience, self-restraint and tranquilty are all inked on jamey and i. these tatoos mean something to us both, they bring us comfort and peace. they are reminders of things we possess within ourselves and those we have lost. tatoos speak a secret language, a language that is understood by the bearer of the tatoo and others who have ink. you dont share the meaning of your tatoo with just anyone, you have to trust those whom you tell, because telling the meaning is revealing a piece of yourself, a piece of your soul.

my mother never understood this until today. today she understands the language and how sacred the meaning of ink can be. she understands how looking at a drawing can bring you comfort, happiness and peace. she understands how loving cooper so much could bring her to learn a language she thought she would never speak.

i wont tell you what her tatoo is or what it means, other than it is to honor and love cooper, the rest is up to her. it is hers to tell. but i will tell you this, i have never been more proud of her or loved her more. not because she got a tatoo, but because she loved my cooper so much and by loving and honoring him, she is loving and honoring me. a mothers love is strong and i am so proud that she has loved me so fiercely and strongly.

and yes, i am sure there is more ink in the future for jamey and i.