why girls get tattoos

I am an old lady. I am fat. I sag.  I have wrinkles. I have scars.


I do not have any tattoos. never will. And a lot of my friends are very upset when they see a young girl with lots of tattoos.
"What will they do when they start to get fat? How will they look when they are our age? Why do they do that?" they say.


I am not an expert and I really have never asked too many girls why they have done that. But I do know that if you ask her what each tattoo is about, she will tell you a lovely story.


Each tat (I do know a little vernacular) is a mark to commemorate, celebrate, mark an event in her life. Graduation, her dog, her children, her life. Its her scrapbook. And its always with her. she doesn't lug huge volumes of baggage with her. its weightless. no trees were destroyed. no plastic involved. She doesn't have to worry about where it is--or who can see it --or where it will be safe. Its always with her.


Perhaps she was one of the legion of children that lived in more than one home. shuffling from one to the other. trying not to have to many things to carry. maybe she was never sure where she would be or how quickly she would have to move from one home to the next. the tattoos would always be there.


Maybe she had trouble sleeping at night. They were there to comfort her. to wrap her up in their warmth.


Maybe I wouldn't need the big three bedroom home that I use to store all of my worldly possessions in if I had just marked the occasions of my life with art on my body.

Affirmation Bowl

I recently enrolled in a group project called "The Affirmation Bowl".  It was created by Laura Thompson of Barrie Ontario. She created 100 fabric bowls and sent them out into the world. They each will reside in four homes over the next year. The only instructions are to place the bowl in a prominent spot where you will see it often and think good thoughts.

I received my bowl in January and I will have it until April. Then I get to choose who I will give the bowl to. Then its out of my hands.




                                                       Its a lovely little bowl.

I have placed it on the little table near the window. I pass it often. And when it catches my eye I say a little mantra to myself about how lucky I am.

I am lucky. I have had a lot of happiness in my life. I had a long and loving marriage. I raised two daughters to be successful adults. I have three grandsons who are very special.

The bowl came to me as I was marking the first anniversary of my husband's death. Marking the anniversary--not celebrating. just marking.

He left the same way he lived. quietly, gently with no fanfare and no drama. He did not wake up.

He was not finished. There were a lot of things that he had planned. He was working on a few projects. He had so many more things to do--

I have taken a year off. I think I will find my voice again soon.