child loss, the permanent mark

Today as I was looking at all of the beautiful memorial tattoos over at StillStandingINK, my heart swelled full of love for the community of loss parents that are surviving without their children. I felt complete gratitude to witness this as a bereaved mother and also as someone that has never been inked.  Thank you for giving me a glimpse of what you hold so dear.  Thank you.  

I carefully studied many of the hand prints and tiny little feet adorned with angel wings and felt my heart pierce as I "heard" each story through these photographs.  With every photograph came a different story whether it was as simple as a date when loss occurred or a portrait of a child engraved on skin, the story was there and it was painfully beautiful.

I could feel the pain of enduring the ink.

I could feel the loss and see the beauty.

I could see the pain of the permanent mark. 

The permanent mark is no respecter of persons,  inked or not.

It is forever.

The ink, though visible, remaining just a shadow of the permanent mark that child loss had already left behind..

I could see that.  I could feel that.

Painfully beautiful.

It is all painfully beautiful.

I remember the words penned by Fran over at Small Bird Studios, "what a beautiful mess she left behind"~ part of that beautiful mess is Still Standing Magazine and the reason that many of you are sharing your ink, your hearts and your children today... that is pretty amazing!  That is one big permanent, but beautiful mess!

Child loss, the permanent mark, cannot be reversed but beautiful things sure can come from it...

I hope you will find some beauty today, I know I have and it has been right here with you!