Tattoo #8 (Angel lassoing bull; left inside bicep)

My quest for more guardian angles obviously didn’t stop at two. To be honest, how does one part with a number in one’s head? I’m not sure how many I’ll eventually get, but from the beauty of their wings, to their elegant romantic faces to their gowns that expose and elicit the word freedom, it’s hard to part ways.

I received my third angel just a few weeks ago and while going through a rough 07 romantically and fighting off my tendency towards being a hard-ass or how my friends like to call me “the Bull” I decided to give the month of December and January over to myself. I tried not to wrestle with either side of my behaviors, the bull on one hand and the angel on the other.

Instead I tried to give in, let those behaviors dictate my way of communicating and way of thinking. So to speak, I like coming out the gate strong, jumping and thrusting my horns in the air with reckless abandon. In certain areas of life the bull demonstrates power and authority and commands respect. But on the other side, the angel is the ultimate image of giving one’s self over, without question, and without an idea of what’s to come. That, while completely opposite to one’s thinking is the ultimate control…having the ability to lose your own.

So, my angel, lassoing a bull is represented on my arm to show that I cater to both sides and that I don’t believe there’s one correct way to live your life. I believe you need strength, bullishness even before you can ever hand yourself over willingly, like an angel to God or in my case another human, friend, family or lover.

Tattoo #9 (Cherokee Healing Bear)

My father was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma 2 ½ years ago. It’s the fourth stage of a brain tumor and he was given six months to live. I moved home from NYC to be with my family and spend the remaining days of my father’s life as close to him as possible. He had attended a workshop for cancer patients given by an old ‘healing’ man who may or may not have been a Cherokee. But what he gave to my father was a small silver bear, that were meant to give him healing powers.

My father then via the internet, ordered as many bears as he could that resembled this one and gave them to friends and family to wear around their necks. Most of my friends still have them around theirs though I chose to wear mine permanently on my arm. My father’s life with brain cancer is not easy, but he is alive and I feel strongly it’s in part do to a little bear that holds itself closely to all those in my fathers life and whom pray for him daily.