Fresh Ink

When I turned 16 years old I told my Mama I wanted a tattoo.  She proceeded to tell me <insert Caswell Co voice> "You come home with a tattoo and after I get the razor strap I'll scrub it off with Clorox."   At age 18, "Mama I'm going to get a tattoo.  You can't stop me now." Mama: "You get that tattoo and I will remove it with sandpaper."  Several years later after I was baptized I had a butterfly tattooed on my ankle.  Lots of people scoff when I tell them I got a tattoo AFTER I was baptized. Regardless I waited until after breakfast one morning and asked Mama what would happen if she found out I got a tattoo.  She promptly replied, "I'll never speak to you again." You can imagine at this point how upsetting the following conversation was.  But after lots of tears on both sides we determined that it would take a lot more than ink to break us two rednecks up.  She even admitted my butterfly was cute.  :) I know people have varying opinions about tattoos.  My hope is that folks won't judge me for my decision to have some.  My hope is that others will not find them offensive.  I won't remove them or apologize for having them, but I will cover them if they bother you.  I can uncover them when we're not together.  I'm supportive of the decision to live life with or without ink with no judgement.  

Here's the collection:

My butterfly tattoo was my very first.  :)
Got this one after I was baptized in Sept. 2009
to symbolize my changed life.

My second tat were my stars.  I
get the most compliments on these.
There is a star each for my Mama,
me, and my younger brother Phillip.
We went through a lot together
growing up.  My Mama has always
called me her "shining star." :)

This was my 3rd tattoo and maybe my fave...the love
tat.  I got this one with Michael Johnson in mind.
It's under my arm so whenever I hug someone I think
about the love.  

Last (and by last I mean my last) and one that no one has seen..until now.  The cross and anchor together were first used in  Christian catacombs to represent hope based on the belief in Jesus.  The heart was added later to represent love.  Faith (1 Peter 2:24), Hope (Hebrews 6:19-20), and Love (1 John 4:17-19).