Secrets of a Scorpio: Querida

Every time i've thought about getting a tattoo, I always stick to the rule that if I still want it 1-2 years after thinking about it, then it's something i cannot regret. My first tattoo has a huge significance to me because it incorporates about 5 elements of my life into one design. The Crown of Fatima is a ppilgrimagesite both of my grandmothers and mother have made promises/sacrifices to in exchange for my good health and fortune during a few difficult surgeries i had in the past. The pilgrimage town is in Portugal, the country of my ancestors (yes, i am 100% portuguese) and is a classic representation of the culture of my family. Stephanie means to be crowned, which is seemingly fitting for me, and well it's my name which my parents chose so don't blame me ;) The three initials under the crown represent my mother, grandmother mariana and grandmother irene, the queens of my life. The ladieswho taught me what it means to be a woman and everything i know today.

East River Tattoo Parlor. Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Shout out to Rob for the amazing artistry on my grandmother's delicate handwriting! These people who work here are true artists!

Tin tiled roof

This day i was getting my second tattoo after five years of waiting. When my grandmother passed in 2010, my mother and father spent a day with my grandfather, uncle and aunt cleaning out her belongings. In the top drawer of her dresser my mother found the first cast i ever received from my doctor. It was tiny, as you can imagine, and a little ancient artifact of my life that she kept right next to her jewelry and delicates.

Not far from the place in which the cast was found, my mother then found a get well soon letter she had drafted to me while in Portugal during a summer in which i had one of my many surgeries. She writes "Querida Stephanie"...and how she went to visit Fatima and prayed for my wellness, and how excited she was to be returning to the states in 1 month to see me in person.

You bet i did.

Querida means loved one in portuguese, and written in her handwriting on the outside of my wrist, is a constant reminder that i am loved. Especially by her, but also by others. it's a reminder that the people who shape our lives are always with us, even when not in a physical state. Life is what we make of it, and that doesn't mean by the amount of stuff or ego we have (not condemning shopping believe me lol). But, appreciate the people you are with, invest deeply into them and love them warts and all.

My view while i waited

bambi

The Supply Room

We are all special and great in our own ways, but just like humans tend to be, we are flawed and often feel unworthy. Don't worry about what you don't have, or what you aren't and never allow those who surround you to feel inferior. Life is not about comparing yourself to others but about creating the best versions of yourself.

Our timeline is way to short to prefer quantity over quality. Keep the ones who love and treat you well close, and love and treat them well in return.

Life is a beautiful journey, although seemingly short. Let's enjoy ourselves while we can, and always remember;

You are loved.
You are enough.
You are so enough.