This is not a new tattoo, it's old, it is becoming blurry, it might be turning slightly green as time passes. I got this tattoo in 2011
When Shane went to rehab.
It says;
Today I Am Stronger
When Shane left for rehab I was scared , I was lost, I was anxious, I was a mama of one , I had no idea what to expect, I was mad, I was grateful, I was angry, I was facing the results of a loved one's addiction and I had no idea what to do.
Shane was gone for 30 days to learn how to live a sober life. I was also learning things about myself, things that I never knew. I was beginning to learn more about who I was. Realizing that I have a purpose and my purpose wasn’t only being a wife and a mother. During those 30 days my life became more than crying, fighting , becoming angry and living in fear of what would be next. I was learning that I was just as affected by Shane's addiction as he was. I was learning that I needed to do just as much work as he was doing.
I also learned that I was STRONG, I was ABLE and I could do this.
I was journaling one day while Shane was gone, I realized that if I am able to get through this very time in my life, this time that felt like the hardest time in my life, then I can get through anything. I am stronger today because I got through that time in 2011. I was capable and able but I don’t think I would have known any of that until I was put to the test. Was this something I wanted to happen? Of course not, but why let it beat me rather than show me what I needed to see. I rose to the challenge , my daughter needed me, my husband needed me and I needed to prove to myself that I was strong enough.
This permanent ink on my left arm is a constant reminder that I GOT THIS no matter what tries to take me down , no matter what tries to stand in my way , as long as I stand back up and remember what I have already overcome then I am one day stronger than I was yesterday. Everyday we are challenged by obstacles, we can choose to allow them to get in our way or make us stronger and more agile for the next one coming. We can use these lessons to help others. If we stay stronger everyday and stand through the hard stuff, if we don’t lay down and give up,that means that everyday you are sucking air …… you are the strongest you have ever been.
