Happy Valentine's Day!

“World’s tardiest blogger” here again. I have assumed the title quasi-blogger. I just can’t seem to grasp the fact that I should do this weekly at the least. It’s supposed to have regularity as an ongoing update, but I imagine since I am still updating it must be ongoing. Regularity is in the eye of the beholder – nuff said about my lack of type.

So I had mentioned more about my Thanksgiving Day Feast. Well this was one of the most difficult days in my life. It was the first year that I didn’t have Thanksgiving with my family. Now family defined is my wife of 12 years (14 total Turkey Days) my kids age eight and four and both my wife’s family and mine combined. Years of comfort, years of joy, years of normality now to be thrown into a blender and stirred up to make ONE over-emotional cocktail.

I ended up traveling to Georgetown, Delaware to be with my extended family The Johnson’s. The Matriarch – Joyce, The Patriarch – Chet, and their Children - Jeff, Shelagh, Keven and his wife Sylvia (along with their 2 kids). Wow I was out of place, but felt at home as they welcomed me in for what was a difficult day. Halloween was the worst day in 2006 (but yet another story for me to blog about.)

Dinner was amazing both Joyce and Chet prepared dinner as the kids hung out and watched football games, as well as watching Enico and Amaya making fart noises all throughout the house. It’s was a very not so peaceful and not so graceful Thanksgiving – perfect for my state of mind. I watched over Joyce and Chet as they cooked as I was cooking the next day for what I called T2. My birth mom was flying into town for the weekend and I planned to prepare dinner for her, my kids and my parents (adoptive). I had to say I did an awesome job for doing Thanksgiving dinner myself.

So a brief background on the kids Jeff works for the Department of Education in Washington DC, Shelagh works in Portland Oregon, and Keven is a tattoo artist in Spain. I had always wanted Keven to give me a tattoo and it was the perfect day for a tattoo. A new Thanksgiving experience, a new thanksgiving family, and a new life. So before I went to the Johnson’s I had made up my mind to get ONE.

I went on line and looked up some Kanji symbols, I am amazed by the beauty they represent and that someone can actually read a language so complex. I thought about my life and decisions and that I am the only one who can make a difference. It’s up to me – you have ONE Life – you need to live the best way you can for yourself and those around you. I also am a huge fan of U2 and Bono’s call to action for aids and the website ONE.org and their song empower me.

So I thought – ONE what a great meaning and symbol of life – So I looked online and wouldn’t you know it the Kanji symbol for one is a straight line down just like the numeric one we know. How boring – someone would think it was an ink stain, back to the drawing board. Not to mention it’s not just about me – It’s so much more, stop being selfish.

Then I thought ONE Love (nah didn’t have that anymore) ONE LIFE– yes I am still alive and need to make the most of it. The decisions in your LIFE not only affect you it affects everyone around you. Oddly enough the Kanji symbol for LIFE looks like a house – “That Was It!” That’s what I wanted etched on my body for the rest of my LIFE.

When I told Keven – I don’t think he believed me. It took me three times to tell him and then he finally went online and looked up the symbol. It was incredible. I wanted on my chest so that I realize the decisions in my LIFE are close to my heart.

After dinner instead of watching football the family gathered around the family room and watched Keven prick my body with his tools. (okay sorry for that visual). It burned a bit, but wasn’t too bad. The awkwardness was laying on the hassock and everyone drinking a fine scotch watching me while Keven was hovering.

I am very happy and proud of my tattoo and would never want to get rid of it for the multitude of meaning it has behind it. Love, loss of love, having family that welcomes you in difficult time, emptiness, security, insecurity, sadness, the farting noise that you just have to laugh at – That’s what LIFE means to me. I am excited to share my LIFE and the story of my LIFE with others.

As I sit on the plane writing this to add later – I am drinking a Nestle product – “Pure LIFE” and I worry about another LIFE as my dad was just put in the hospital due to a heart attack. “LIFE is a gift” and that’s coming from a child that was adopted. I am glad to be here because I really wasn’t meant to be. To be continued.