Our Seventeenth Anniversary

     This year would have been our seventeenth wedding anniversary.  June 18th.  The day started off horrible.  I woke up alone and already sad.  Everyday I get up and optimistically put on eye makeup.  If it isn't cried off by lunch, I'm having a great day.  Today, it lasted until 11:45.  Even though I was in Brazoria with family, I felt so alone.
     Around 1:30, Sam and I dove to Chris and Renee's home.  Loading up Baby Lila, we all went to Houston.  Well, Friendswood actually.  Chris knew exactly where to drive to -- Tattzoo.
     In May, when everyone was home for Dad's funeral, Chris came up with the idea of an atomic symbol tattoo to honor Dad.  The reasons were 1) science symbol for Dad the scientist and 2) Dad loved "Big Bang Theory."  All the kids were excited and wanted to get the same tattoo.  In a moment of grief-filled insanity, I agreed to do it also.  So, Chris and Renee were the first to get theirs.  Josie can't get one until she has the baby.  Jeri Leigh wants to wait for Josie.  Sam can't get a tattoo until he turns 18.
     So, I am the reason we went to Tattzoo.  At 3:45, I got a tattoo.  I'm not sure Jerry would have liked it.  He really wasn't for or against them.  He never got one.  I never had either.  But I did this to honor him.  Renee came up with the idea of adding two blue electrons (Chris & Sam) and three pink electrons (Jeri Leigh, Josie & me) to the spinning atom.  I did that also but in the center of mine is a gold nucleus for Jerry.  He had a heart of pure gold and he was the center of my world.  And now I have a tattoo to prove it.