A Pink Proclamation
Some time ago, myself, The Photographer and the Asian Boy decided to get tattoos together. We had jokingly dubbed ourselves a "mini-gang" and felt it necessary to commemorate our legion.
We already had jackets made and they were perfect. Black workout jackets that proudly stated "Strong Women LIFT Each Other Up", in our signature hot pink lettering. A mantra we tried to convey through our commitment to each other, our families and our community.
We ran every 5k together within a 3 hour radius of our small town, and our daily routine for nearly a year would have been exhausting to most. We met at 4:30 am for a run, followed by an hour of boxing or weight lifting. We would then convene to our favorite local tavern for coffee and conversation before returning to the chaos of children, work, relationships and a multitude of other commitments.
Each of us a fighter. Survivors with a story.
We decided our tattoo would be hanging pink boxing gloves located on our rib cage with the words "Psalm 46:5" lingering near. As the ringleader, I got mine first.
It hurt, of course. Tattoos aren't licked on by kittens. I stayed very calm, so as to set a precedent. The Asian Boy was next. She struggled to remain calm and muttered some profanities in my direction. Lastly, The Photographer, who was very vocal about the experience and how much it sucked.
I slide on my favorite jacket.
Our boxing gloves have gathered a bit of dust, and we don't see each other every day like before. We remain fighters and I trust that each of us continue to follow our pink proclamation to lift each other and all other women up.
