I got my first, and definitely my last tattoo, the other afternoon; and it felt good and awesome!
That's what I thought, until I showed it to Gie, my better half or bitter wife that day. It's a good thing that I unveiled it at home after dinner, otherwise, I would have ruined our dinner, as well. Unfortunately, I was too excited and couldn't wait for today, which is our 31st church wedding anniversary, to open what I thought was a unique and fantastic present for her. After all, what better gift could I possibly give her other than to immortalize my undying love for her and our beloved children, after thirty- one years of wedded bliss (and hoping, of course, that she would forget the not so blissful ones also) by having it etched proudly and permanently on the middle of my forearm!
That's what I thought, when I conceived the idea and design of the tattoo eighteen years ago. But, the timing wasn't right then, because our children were still in grade school, and I knew that they will be against it too. Why? Because my family was very conservative (I was the only moderate back then) and we had an outstanding pact called "majority wins" which was our way, as parents, of getting our children to become more proactive in our family life, and at the same time a subtle move for me and my wife of vetoing whatever we believed was inappropriate children's fads, fashions, language and music for Osbert and Claire-Voe. Little did I know that "majority wins" would backfire on me at the onset of my midlife crisis, when I told them that I was getting an eerring (after my broker who was older than me got one, and it looked good on him) a Harley and a tattoo, which they all rejected. To this day, neither one of our kids have body piercings & tattoos, use foul language, or are into goth and extreme music. Eighteen summers ago, I, who'd been schooled by Columban missionary priests in high school and Dominican friars in college, but had lived up to my liberal arts education by becoming liberal myself, could have never asked for a more conservative wife and children, than the one I had!
And so, it was, until Osbert went to Georgetown (the most liberal Jesuit university in the country) and Claire-Voe stepped into the campus of Northeastern in Boston (one of the more liberal cities in the US) came half circle, and just like me in college, were transformed and became progressively liberal in their thinking and way of life; while the conservative in Gie became ultra-conservative (tattoos are strictly forbidden) and the moderate in me had been becoming more conservative to this day, after we joined the Catholic charismatic renewal and Bible Study group of one of its charismatic spiritual advisers, Fr. Bill Halbing, fifteen and five years ago respectively. Not that I regret sending them to the best universities of their choosing (because they both graduated with outstanding honors and were hired immediately for excellent jobs, afterwards) but was actually very proud of their intense intellectual formation, knowledge and skills, network of highly supportive friends and fellow alumni, and their unwavering and youthful confidence in making it into the adult world on their own terms. Thirty-one years after Gie and I promised before God, to love and to cherish each other and our offsprings in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, in poverty and in prosperity, until death do we part, I couldn't possibly ask God for a more ecclectic, unconventional, and imperfect family, than the one we have!
And so, it is, until we come together every year to celebrate Easter, Christmas,Thanksgiving & New Year, birthdays, Mother's & Father's Days, or our children just come home for a visit, to pick up mail, books and all kinds of stuff at home, as an excuse to taste Gie's home cooking again, listen to Dad's unmistakable voice with ever ready and sometimes unsolicited advice, and pray together before and after meals, or go to Sunday Mass, while the Spirit of the Lord fills in all our gaps, shortcomings and transgressions with His Joy, Peace and Love in our hearts, and I realize how the Almighty has done great things for us as a family, inspite all of our differences!
And so, it will be, when I take Gie to her favorite restaurant for supper tonight and enjoy the food , talk about and feel the presence of the Lord in our lives afterwards, and hope for another thirty-one years of shared blessed moments. And then, she'll appreciate better my gift of love for her and our children, until death do we part. I know she will!
I love you Sweetheart!...Happy Anniversary Gie!...Thank you Jesus...Thank you.
That's what I thought, until I showed it to Gie, my better half or bitter wife that day. It's a good thing that I unveiled it at home after dinner, otherwise, I would have ruined our dinner, as well. Unfortunately, I was too excited and couldn't wait for today, which is our 31st church wedding anniversary, to open what I thought was a unique and fantastic present for her. After all, what better gift could I possibly give her other than to immortalize my undying love for her and our beloved children, after thirty- one years of wedded bliss (and hoping, of course, that she would forget the not so blissful ones also) by having it etched proudly and permanently on the middle of my forearm!
That's what I thought, when I conceived the idea and design of the tattoo eighteen years ago. But, the timing wasn't right then, because our children were still in grade school, and I knew that they will be against it too. Why? Because my family was very conservative (I was the only moderate back then) and we had an outstanding pact called "majority wins" which was our way, as parents, of getting our children to become more proactive in our family life, and at the same time a subtle move for me and my wife of vetoing whatever we believed was inappropriate children's fads, fashions, language and music for Osbert and Claire-Voe. Little did I know that "majority wins" would backfire on me at the onset of my midlife crisis, when I told them that I was getting an eerring (after my broker who was older than me got one, and it looked good on him) a Harley and a tattoo, which they all rejected. To this day, neither one of our kids have body piercings & tattoos, use foul language, or are into goth and extreme music. Eighteen summers ago, I, who'd been schooled by Columban missionary priests in high school and Dominican friars in college, but had lived up to my liberal arts education by becoming liberal myself, could have never asked for a more conservative wife and children, than the one I had!
And so, it was, until Osbert went to Georgetown (the most liberal Jesuit university in the country) and Claire-Voe stepped into the campus of Northeastern in Boston (one of the more liberal cities in the US) came half circle, and just like me in college, were transformed and became progressively liberal in their thinking and way of life; while the conservative in Gie became ultra-conservative (tattoos are strictly forbidden) and the moderate in me had been becoming more conservative to this day, after we joined the Catholic charismatic renewal and Bible Study group of one of its charismatic spiritual advisers, Fr. Bill Halbing, fifteen and five years ago respectively. Not that I regret sending them to the best universities of their choosing (because they both graduated with outstanding honors and were hired immediately for excellent jobs, afterwards) but was actually very proud of their intense intellectual formation, knowledge and skills, network of highly supportive friends and fellow alumni, and their unwavering and youthful confidence in making it into the adult world on their own terms. Thirty-one years after Gie and I promised before God, to love and to cherish each other and our offsprings in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, in poverty and in prosperity, until death do we part, I couldn't possibly ask God for a more ecclectic, unconventional, and imperfect family, than the one we have!
And so, it is, until we come together every year to celebrate Easter, Christmas,Thanksgiving & New Year, birthdays, Mother's & Father's Days, or our children just come home for a visit, to pick up mail, books and all kinds of stuff at home, as an excuse to taste Gie's home cooking again, listen to Dad's unmistakable voice with ever ready and sometimes unsolicited advice, and pray together before and after meals, or go to Sunday Mass, while the Spirit of the Lord fills in all our gaps, shortcomings and transgressions with His Joy, Peace and Love in our hearts, and I realize how the Almighty has done great things for us as a family, inspite all of our differences!
And so, it will be, when I take Gie to her favorite restaurant for supper tonight and enjoy the food , talk about and feel the presence of the Lord in our lives afterwards, and hope for another thirty-one years of shared blessed moments. And then, she'll appreciate better my gift of love for her and our children, until death do we part. I know she will!
I love you Sweetheart!...Happy Anniversary Gie!...Thank you Jesus...Thank you.
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