Anniversaries, Wild Hairs and Tattoos
August 3, 1984...
That's the day I got married. In 1984, August 3, was on a Friday. We were in Asheville, NC. Friends and family were with us, celebrating what we thought would be a lifetime adventure.
August 3, 2014...
Here we are 30 years later... yes, that's right, THIRTY YEARS of marriage would have been celebrated today.
Instead, I am sitting on a screened porch at a house I am renting... alone while I write this post. J is at our house with all of our kids and he will be going golfing in a couple of hours (so says my son). We are separated and doing separate things. I will be headed to the beach this afternoon. Was that intentional? You bet!!
Last year on August 3, I was at Fripp Island with a good friend and 3 of my kids.
It was also one year ago today that I went and got myself a tattoo! YES, I DID! In fact, my friend and daughter got tatts as well.We were sitting on the beach; we had been out in the sun for a few hours and we may or may not have had a couple/few Ritas in a can. We started talking about tattoos. We all said, "Hey, let's go get one! I've always wanted to get a tattoo! Like let's go, NOW!" Daughter already had one but wanted another. So we sat right there, googled a tattoo place (reputable-we hoped!) nearby and found one in Beaufort, SC.
We packed up our gear, went back to the house, showered, got in the car and took off towards our "wild hair." What's funny about this is my kids. My daughter was encouraging about it but really didn't believe I would go through with it. My middle son said, "Mom, you are NOT going to get a tattoo!" (insert here probs not wise to tell me "You are NOT going to do ???" because that increases the probability of my doing it about a hundred fold. Just sayin'.) My youngest son just shook his head in disbelief and also didn't believe I would really do it. I said, "Let's all go! This is going to be great fun!" Jacob stayed back. He had no desire to endure this long ordeal. Jared did go and I made him go in with me and video the whole thing!! :o) (remember he is the one that said, "you will not"! ) Word to the wise... be careful what you say around ole' Mom!
So a while later all three of us had tattoos. I wanted "just words"... something to reflect my current situation and a brighter future. It took me a long time to decide. Brown got an infinity symbol with her kids' names as the lines of the symbol (looks so good) and K got a dogwood on her left wrist area. She wanted something representative of her NC roots. I love it. Here are a few shots...
So we did it! We did it on August 3, and for some reason it made me feel better about the day. It made the "not hearing from him" a little easier. It made the memories a little more distant. It made the moment a little bit sweeter! I guess because I did something totally out of my box. I felt a tad bit rebellious. I made my kids' jaws drop to the floor. Shocking them and seeing their faces was a Top Ten moment! From my Sassy Pants Girl, I even got a "Mom, I'm really proud of you. You really did it. You're such a cool mom!" At that moment, I kinda felt like a "cool mom." :) I was proud of myself for doing it and doing it without hesitation. I did something spur of the moment, something out of the ordinary (for me), something just for me b/c I wanted it. Yep, there's a first time for everything.
Now, let's fast forward to today... What shall I do on "this" anniversary? Thank God I'm going to be at the beach later tonight. One of my favorite places to be... Oak Island. Thank God I will be with my sister friend, Katie. Thank God one of my kids will be with us. Jared is coming along this time. I won't be by myself. I won't be wallowing in sadness or self-pity. I will be distracted and I will be in the company of two of my favorite people. I will be spending quality time with my son before he goes back to college in less than 2 weeks. I will be breathing in the sounds and smells of my favorite ocean. Perhaps we will even eat dinner tonight at one of our favorite local restaurants. All this TODAY. I will not be receiving any flowers or cards or gifts or having a lovely dinner with candlelight or reminiscing with my husband about our wedding day and remembering our 30 years of life together, but what I will be doing is counting my blessings. I will choose HOPE instead of sadness. I will continue to move forward one small step at a time. I will fight with my inner self to stay strong and embrace all that is good in my life. I will keep singing when my favorite songs come on the radio. I will dance when no one is watching. (FYI: I LOVE to dance) I will come through this and I will be stronger. I will never give up or "lay down." Life is precious. Our time on this earth is short. I want to live life to its fullest. This is what I choose on this anniversary.
Today may not be a "Tattoo Day," but who knows what the week will bring...
All in,
D~
That's the day I got married. In 1984, August 3, was on a Friday. We were in Asheville, NC. Friends and family were with us, celebrating what we thought would be a lifetime adventure.
August 3, 2014...
Here we are 30 years later... yes, that's right, THIRTY YEARS of marriage would have been celebrated today.
Instead, I am sitting on a screened porch at a house I am renting... alone while I write this post. J is at our house with all of our kids and he will be going golfing in a couple of hours (so says my son). We are separated and doing separate things. I will be headed to the beach this afternoon. Was that intentional? You bet!!
Last year on August 3, I was at Fripp Island with a good friend and 3 of my kids.
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| K and J and J |
So a while later all three of us had tattoos. I wanted "just words"... something to reflect my current situation and a brighter future. It took me a long time to decide. Brown got an infinity symbol with her kids' names as the lines of the symbol (looks so good) and K got a dogwood on her left wrist area. She wanted something representative of her NC roots. I love it. Here are a few shots...
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| Yes, this hurt like heck!! (worse than that but that's all I can type!) |
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| I didn't even flinch! I just said, "Um, how long is this going to take?" HA |
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| The end result... swollen foot and all. |
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| Sis getting the dogwood tatt. She looks all happy faced, but she is really saying all sorts of swear words in her head! |
Now, let's fast forward to today... What shall I do on "this" anniversary? Thank God I'm going to be at the beach later tonight. One of my favorite places to be... Oak Island. Thank God I will be with my sister friend, Katie. Thank God one of my kids will be with us. Jared is coming along this time. I won't be by myself. I won't be wallowing in sadness or self-pity. I will be distracted and I will be in the company of two of my favorite people. I will be spending quality time with my son before he goes back to college in less than 2 weeks. I will be breathing in the sounds and smells of my favorite ocean. Perhaps we will even eat dinner tonight at one of our favorite local restaurants. All this TODAY. I will not be receiving any flowers or cards or gifts or having a lovely dinner with candlelight or reminiscing with my husband about our wedding day and remembering our 30 years of life together, but what I will be doing is counting my blessings. I will choose HOPE instead of sadness. I will continue to move forward one small step at a time. I will fight with my inner self to stay strong and embrace all that is good in my life. I will keep singing when my favorite songs come on the radio. I will dance when no one is watching. (FYI: I LOVE to dance) I will come through this and I will be stronger. I will never give up or "lay down." Life is precious. Our time on this earth is short. I want to live life to its fullest. This is what I choose on this anniversary.
Today may not be a "Tattoo Day," but who knows what the week will bring...
All in,
D~
Oh My Goodness!!! Lets Go get another!!!!!!!! I'm all in!!
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