I was in college and my best friend and I were in the bathroom of our dorm...(imagine girls being in the bathroom together) and we started having a conversation about tattoos. Now this was about the time that getting a tattoo on your ankle was becoming very popular. So we decided to check in to this! We knew that our mothers would not be very happy if we did something like this, but when you're in your early twenties and away at college, consequences seemed light years away. We had checked in to where to have this done, and how much it would cost, and luckily we decided to ask a friend, who had one on his ankle, how bad it hurt. His answer to us was it was the worst pain he had ever felt and he wouldn't do it again. So needless to say, we totally chickened out! Haha
Fast forward eighteen years....she was still my best friend, in fact, we went through our first pregnancy together and our kids were born four days apart. We eventually bought homes in the same cul-de-sac, and had another baby.
Life sometimes changes, and it did for my family when we made the decision to move to another state for a job opportunity. I was very sad to leave all my friends, my church, and my school. It wasn't easy. Friendship doesn't stop because miles separate you, so we would call and text routinely and visit when we could. The day before her oldest daughter turned 13 I texted her that morning and asked if she was ready for this new adventure. I told her I was kind of having a little unsettling feeling that the kids were growing up fast (because Jackson was turning 13 four days later). She agreed, and we texted for a long time that morning discussing the birthday parties that were going to happen and the presents the kids were going to receive. I was at school that morning, and class was going to start so I said goodbye and told her I would call her that weekend. That was the last time we talked. Two days later she was in an accident and passed away.
I am a Christian, and so was she. My faith confirms that she is in heaven and that we will one day see each other again. God is good, and over the last year I have relied on Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." I miss her so much.
Saturday was her birthday, and I had been thinking about our "tattoo story" for a while. I thought that maybe I could overcome my fear of needles long enough to do it. After all, I had one of my children with no drugs (not by choice) so I knew that if I survived that experience, I could get a tattoo! Well again, I caught myself having a major naive moment. Let's just say it's a "different" kind of pain....but, she is totally worth it!! I had it done on my wrist so I could see it all the time. I traced the "J" from her signature. It's been four days...the pain is gone, and the memories make me smile.
