If we're lucky, she'll pencil us in. ;)
I love that she's as active as she is, and I want to be that active when I'm older (not old...the numbers don't matter, she's not old. I don't want to be old, either.) I want to still be out there taking long walks, going places, dragging the Spouse Thingy to San Francisco for the hell of it. I want to squeeze every freaking thing I can out of life, and I want to not just enjoy it, I want to be happy through it.
And there's another thing; she's not just busy, she seems to be a happy person. Genuinely nice, very sweet, and innately, wonderfully happy.
It would be easy to not be happy. Face it, when you lose your other half, it would be easy to just burrow down and hide away, and let the darker shadows suck the joy right out of life. Who could blame you?
She could have gone there, yet she didn't. She mourned, and then did exactly what my father in law would have wanted for the woman he truly adored.
She lived.
Remember this tattoo?
I knew when I got it that it wasn't complete. Because Superman alone never felt right. There was always supposed to be something else there.
I even knew what it was, but I didn't know exactly how I wanted to implement it. It had to really matter, because my mother in law? She really matters.
I wanted something to represent happiness. Something to represent busyness. And every time I contemplated it, I came back to the same things: the Bluebird of Happiness, and hummingbirds.
Both are incredibly beautiful, and I love the flitting, zippy motion of hummingbirds.
Blue for happiness; the hummingbird for the beauty of keeping in motion, staying busy.
And the wings...they're touching the shield for a reason, Because no matter how busy she is, how much she lives life, she always, always carries him with her.
It's not two tattoos; it's one that I had done a couple of years apart.
And now no matter what, I carry these people with me.
7 comments:
You are a very lucky Peron to have good in laws. They loved you and you love them. I was not so lucky and had in laws that never approved of me. I never saw them engaged in live when I was around. When the retired, the sat done and quit and got old and grumpier.
I love the tattoo and the symbolism of love!
I am SO glad I read this blog. Having been fortunate enough to meet & become friends with them BOTH, I know Shirley & Tommy together were a loving couple whose everyday lives touched & blessed everyone they met. They included me in family gatherings; and I witnessed "family values" with skin on them--a love story in the flesh. When Tommy died, the grief was deep. Superman with a halo? You bet! Heaven now has such man in Tommy. I still miss him A LOT. So does everyone who knew him. But for Shirley, it had to be heart-breaking. Still...she is EVERYTHING in your written description & more. One of the most truly "kind" persons I have ever met & even more strikingly, without guile. Like the hummingbird, she "sips" the sweetness of life that gives her vitality & shares it by LIVING. Your lasting tribute to her, worn on your arm for ALL to see, is one of the most touching & sincere testaments I have ever encountered. Thank you for the smile of recognition I now carry at the very thought of it. It speaks silent words of YOUR OWN character.
In friendship & appreciation,
~Phyl Hummingbird
After reading this and seeing the bird, I thought of the song Wind Beneath My Wings. Whether your mom is your wind for you or vice versa. Love this! Will your mom adopt me? Cause I sure would like having a mom sometimes.
You make my heart sing with joy.
kay lee kelly
it's beautiful!! just beautiful
Good on you, Thumper.
This is beautiful.
This brought tears to my eyes since I just lost my sister Dec. 23rd and I'm still quite emotional.
This is truly a lovely way for you to "carry them with you" as you said. The blue hummingbird makes it complete and celebrates the strength of this remarkable woman.
Post a Comment