Shining through the Sorrow

I wanted to give some background and explanation on my little pieces of art.  I got my first “tat” (Is it still cool to call them that?) when I was only 18.  I actually got my nose pierced on my legal birthday, and then just a month later I was ready to rebel some more.  Ah, youth…   Truth be told, if I could go back in time and never start this little body modification hobby, I would.  Once I hit my mid-20’s, I realized some of my tattoos had no significant meaning.  In the very least, they didn’t reflect the most important aspect of my life – my relationship with Jesus.   Thus starting my quest to spiritualize what I was working with.  And I can finally say I am very happy with what I have on my body right now.  I would still love a memorial tattoo for my Gabey, but every time I try to decide what to get, nothing ever seems good enough to capture his memory.  So, here’s a tour… My first tattoo is actually the only one you won’t see a picture of.  It’s a Chinese character.  On

So I had an epiphany on my vacation last week and I thought I’d share it with you.   Maybe it’s spiritual maturity (now, doesn’t that sound humble)... maybe I’m just getting old, but it occurred to me that basically everyone has a “Gabe” situation at some point in their life. It might not be the loss of a child, but it could be living in an unhappy marriage, facing infertility, dealing with a loved one with a terminal illness or an incurable condition.   I could go on and on… I’m not downplaying the fact that losing a child also means dealing with a grief that lingers a LIFEtime.   I’m just saying that my perspective has been changed a little more.   You can get along with MORE people if you remember that we’re all dealing with something.   It’s like that quote, “Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”

Just got back from a week-long vacation in the Outer Banks.  Our first time there!  It was a good week full of too much drinking and eating, but I did manage to run three times!  Enjoy these pictures! Kids Playing Date Night Me and my Girl Handsome Joel Sweet Zoe Remembering him always... My Family

Definition of Mercy:   compassionate treatment of those in distress So, I’ve been thinking about Mercy today.   Not just the word, but the baby I lost two years ago this month.   For the short time I was pregnant, I felt that the baby was a girl, but it took me many months before I actually gave her a name.   Today it occurred to me that July was the month that I found out I was pregnant with her… and also the month I lost her.   It all happened so quickly.   I decided to search my old blog to find out the actual date that everything occurred. I wrote a blog on 7/21/10 explaining that we had lost our baby the morning before.   Then, exactly one year later, 7/21/11 I gave birth to my amazing little girl, Zoe.   And, as I was just reminded recently, her name means LIFE. My nighttime routine with my precious little girl was extra special tonight.   I turned on her lullaby music, changed her diaper, brushed her wavy hair, and dressed her in a sweet smelling pair of pajamas.