Surprise! I got a tattoo- well, actually two. I've had these designs in mind for years and there is nothing I want permanently on my body more. I want to share the meaning of them on here before I spend the rest of my life explaining them. I want people reading this to understand why I have these and be able to learn about things that mean so much to me and have shaped me into who I am.

Cho Boi

I grew up going to a summer camp that told the story of a man who worked there who was from Africa. He taught the camp the chant his village would use to welcome the warriors home from their battles. This chant began with "Cho Boi" meaning "Welcome Home". But it means so much more than a casual greeting. It means you are safe here. You are loved here. You are cared for here. You can be at peace here. You can be free here. You are protected here. This is what camp was for me- a place to be loved and cared for and welcomed with open arms. This place became the foundation for my faith. It taught me that Christ's love is very much like this chant- endearing and welcoming and accepting and ready with open arms regardless of what you are coming from. This chant taught me to create that space for others, to build an environment where others can feel welcomes home with me. To accept and love and care for people. "Cho Boi" changed the direction of my life forever. It helped set the standard for how I want to exist. Two simple words mean so much to me, and I am so excited to have it on me forever. Because I cannot wait for the day my daughter asks me what it means, and I get to tell her the story of life change. Because I cannot wait until I meet a stranger on the street who recognizes the meaning of the words on my arm and feels something. Because I am so excited to meet people who shared the same "home" that I did at 690 Camp Glisson Road at all different times in life. Because I want people to hold me accountable to the ink in my skin to remember that. I want to die knowing I am being welcomed home to an eternity of love and safety and care and joy and accepting and welcoming. That everything I wanted to live for only gets better. I want strangers to use this tattoo as a conversation starter about something so much deeper than tattoo ink. I want for this permanent decision to have a lasting impact on myself and others.

The Phoenix

In greek legends, a phoenix is a bird that obtains new life from rising from the ashes of its predecessor. The phoenix is not easily taken down. It doesn't become worse after challenged, but it metamorphosizes into something so much better and stronger. It takes destruction and thrives out of it. I have struggled with a good bit throughout my life, but I want to experience them like a phoenix- to not just survive the worst but be transformed into a better version of myself through it. I wanted a reminder that regardless of what is happening or challenging me, I have the option of letting it transform me into a better and stronger version of myself. That I have the ability to create the best version of myself. That things that hurt me don't have to destroy me. That I can be above my circumstances. I'm so excited about this tattoo because I think it serves a symbol of positive transformation, and that's important. I want a little kid to point at it in a grocery store check out line and be able to turn around and tell him it means that you can be tough to overcome anything. I want to teach my future kids about how to handle the tough times for the better. I want to open a conversation about mental illness. I want to live by example. I want a reminder that I too can thrive out of destruction- that amongst chaos and circumstance, I can rise above it bigger and better. I think this story is very constant throughout our lives whether we are struggling with work or school or friendships or relationships or faith or finance. I think we all take a beating every time and again. We all have times we feel like we're at a low. We all feel like we are falling short of our expectations we have set for ourselves. And I think we all want to do so much more than get past it- but be better because of it.