i am because you are my story.

I remember driving three years ago on the way to get our tattoo and we called our dad to “ask permission”. He did not approve of it and we informed him we weren’t technically “asking” but simply “preparing”. Growing up we had one giant rule — no tattoos. Fast forward a year  to the last six months of my dad’s life. He was sick — we all knew how sick. He always talked to us about being scared and sad that he would not be in our lives forever. We wanted something to show him that he in fact would always be in our lives, monthly, daily, every minute of everyday. We wanted him to write a tattoo for us, we weren’t sure on how we would sell him the idea, but in fact it didn’t take long to do. He sat down to write it for us — he was frustrated at how shaky his hand was that he continued to write it ten times to try to perfect it. We all just kind of sat there watching him — sad that we all knew where this story was headed and quite frankly shocked he was writing this for us. Fast forward two more years to this past weekend — we were able to walk into a tattoo parlor together with his words in hand. We all added our own word to the end to describe how we carry him with us. It was such a perfect day sitting and perfecting this and watching each other go through it. About an hour after our tattoos we walked outside to the most beautiful rainbow that faded shortly after we saw it. We just stared and watched it — say what you will but he was there and he was proud of us and the proof was in the sky right above our heads. We watched that rainbow dissapear with tears in our eyes and ended the day with margaritas to celebrate him and remind him that in fact we will always carry him with us. 

I am because you are my story. 

I am because you are my strength. 

I am because you are my journey. 

I am because you are my existence. 

I am because you are my haven.