Flash back to the spring of 2015 (like it was aeons ago.) We had gathered for a week-end Bar-B-Q and were leisurely sitting around the picnic table. Somehow, the subject turned to tattoos. We were surrounded by ink as Lee and I (and the kids) were the only ones who sported no branding. I endured several minutes of shaming and coaxing and finally, to put an end to the entire discussion, I made a proclamation, " If you two (Jeff and Lace) have a baby, I'll get a tattoo!" About the safest bet I'd ever made. Jeff is not a "baby man" and they'd only recently bought a house and moved in together. In my mind, the whole inking conversation was now a moot point.
Fast forward to Father's Day, 2015 (not really all that long after the spring of 2015 :-/ The announcement was made, in the very best way, that I was actually, for real, going to have another grandbaby..In my mind, I had relegated myself to the one and done club but was content to have my Bailee♥ I'm pretty sure someone, sometime throughout that day, mentioned the fact that I was now totally obligated to fulfill my part of the bargain. In one ear and out the other! Confident that the kids knew my feelings about tattoos and how wonderful theirs would look during old age.... License plates crinkling, anchors heading to the ocean floor and footprints walking south.
But if I had hoped to teach my children anything, I must live by example and by my word. So, for several months, I mulled over the options, the visibility and the worth. After months of prudent planning, I decided, "what the hell!" I set out to design exactly what I had in mind. Hmmm, a jet and the letter B. That would cover the two loves of my life. I found the perfect plane that even had the flight trail of a heart. (Every tattoo wearer has a heart somewhere) The letter B was cool but just then a Cheerios commercial came on and there was my "bee." 2 things that fly connected to my heart. I researched a tattooist and sent out a message..... Next Thursday at 2p.m.
The day started off with the loss of a very dear friend which solidified my decision to never put things off.
The next day we were celebrating Jeff and Lacie's first anniversary of homeownership. The "rents" pitched in and made dinner and took it to their house. The menu was posted on the fridge listing all the items served:
Turkey
Asparagus
Taters
Titos and cranberry
Orange Glaze
Olives
After dinner, I asked the kids how they liked their gift. Assuming I was referring to dinner, they thanked us and said it was great. "It wasn't dinner but it is here in the kitchen." .................................
"Check out your menu!" There it was, spelled out with the first letter of each dinner item. Still no light bulbs were clicking on....Jeff really IS Lee's son ;-) Greg got it and gave them a clue. "No way," they said in unison. "WAY!!!", as I rolled up my sleeve!! GOTCHA!
Absolutely sure that inking is love in liquid form...a commitment to last a lifetime!
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