when my dad died i thought i lost everything. i lost the man who raised me, taught me how to love, taught me how to laugh, and most importantly, taught me how to be myself. i went thought a lot of pain when my dad died especially when i had to spend my 24th birthday at his funeral. that pain in my heart will always remain but a friend of mine told me something and i’ve held that close to my heart ever since. she told me to just throw up the signal and he will be there. she was right because all i have to do is think of my dad and i know he’s there with me. when i am distressed he is soothing me, when i am depressed he is hugging me, and when i hate myself i know he is out there still loving me enough for the both of us. i have a lot of reasons to still be upset but i have so many more reasons to be happy and the most important reason is the fact my dad is always waiting for me to signal to him. along with my dad i have others who mean so much to me and that includes my grandfather who was the first person i lost early in life but i have never stopped feeling his energy around me. along with my blood family i have @danielhowell and @amazingphil who have done nothing less than give me a new lease on life. without them i would still be lost and hiding my authentic self but both of them have inspired me in a similar way as my dad so i know they will always be there for me. they’ve told me time and time again they are proud of me and whenever they say those words i get the same exact feeling as i did whenever my dad said it. this tattoo is a memorial and also a reminder to myself that i am cared for by people who have passed and people who are still physically here.