Katherine's Tattoo - A tribute to my mom and dad (Mimi and Papa)

Sweet Katherine Gets A Tattoo...

It's funny how life has a way of preparing you for things little by little....

Eighteen and a half years ago, Chuck and I, along with the rest of our family, welcomed Katherine into the world. She has been an absolute pleasure since day one, never giving us a moment's trouble. She was just about the sweetest little girl any parent could ever ask for, and her sweet personality and disposition never faltered even during the middle school and high school years.

Katherine has always loved my parents (Mimi and Papa to Katherine) more than life itself. When my father passed away 15 months ago, it rocked her world. Sometime toward the end of last year, we began to hear Katherine drop subtle hints about a tattoo. If you had told me when she was 5 or 6, and when I was a young mom, that she would want a tattoo one day, I would have cringed (and so would my parents). However, as we have traveled this journey called life, we have realized with every life lesson, that a tattoo is not the worst thing she could ever do, and instead of ridiculing her and discouraging her, we decided to embrace and support her instead.

My parents have always amazed me. The epitome of true southern, conservative, traditionalists, I have always been amazed at how supportive they have been of all of their grandchildren as well as of Nancy (my sister) and of me. No matter what path we've chosen in life, they have always been there to love and support each of us in whatever we've chosen to do.

One of the first things I remember to demonstrate their undying love is when my oldest nephew, Joseph, decided to forego college and instead, announced that he was going to Zambia to become a missionary. Mimi and Papa were loving, respectful and supportive of this decision and helped comfort the rest of us as we dealt with the feeling that anyone would have in hearing that your son was going to move away, clear across to the other side of the world.

Shortly after that, my other nephew, Tim, a very talented bass guitarist, decided to drop out of college for awhile in order to tour the US with his band. Again, it wasn't a decision that you "dream of" for your children or grandchildren" but my parents were there for both Joseph and Tim, every step of the way. In fact, my Mom and Dad used to both go to places like Swayzes, The Tabernacle, and other musical venues to hear Tim play....They always stuck out at these places like a sore thumb, and although they probably didn't understand the "music", none of that mattered to them. What mattered to them was to show their support to their grandchildren.

Two years ago, when Joseph announced that he had fallen in love with a girl from Namibia and was to be married, again, Mimi and Papa showed their love and support and traveled to Zambia to see Joseph and meet Foibe.

And these are just a few examples of the people that they are and have always been. Always supportive and loving, never judging....They are giving people....They do not discriminate.....They would give you the shirt of their backs and would do anything in the world to help someone who needed help.

My parents have always been an inspiration to me....but even more as I grow older myself, and witness in person, the undying love and support that they show to their children and grandchildren. Every day I ask God to make me more like them....and to help me become more like the people that they were and are.

So, today, I found myself meeting my mother, Katherine, our son Chris and our sweet "Adopted" daughter Shelby (who lives with us), for lunch and afterwards, we all headed over to accompany Katherine for her long awaited and hoped for, tattoo. Never in a million years did I picture myself or my mother, for that matter, in a tattoo shop.

As I mentioned, ever since my father (Papa) passed away, life in our family as we knew it, has never been the same. Whenever my mother writes a note or a card to Katherine, she has begun signing it with the words "You'll Never Walk Alone"....Something about those words has left Katherine with the feeling that my mom and dad (Mimi and Papa) are always with her and these very words, as we found out today, were the inspiration behind her tattoo.

One other thing that I should mention is that back in 1996, Chuck and I did a joint venture business during the Olympics with The Varsity in downtown Atlanta. For a month, Christopher and Katherine stayed with my parents while Chuck and I ran this business. At the time, beanie babies were all the rage, and my parents had a mallard duck beanie baby named "Jake" that Katherine used to play with. Jake was also my father's name as well. Hence, the second inspiration for Katherine's tattoo.

Today, as mom and I entered the open doors of All Or Nothing Tattoo shop in Smyrna, we accompanied Katherine with that same love and support that my parents have always shown to their grandchildren. Katherine had thought long and hard about this tattoo....and had designed it based on something that reminded her of Mimi and Papa. The writing on the tattoo is a replica of my mother's exact handwriting.....the words that Mimi always includes in every card and note to Katherine since my father passed away. The mallard is symbolic of the baby mallard duck named "Jake".

It was both my first time and my mom's first time in a tattoo shop. My mom sat by Katherine as the tattoo artist began to inscribe the words "You'll never walk alone" into her skin. Katherine was a little worried about Mimi being in a tattoo shop and had hoped that she wouldn't be exposed to any foul language or anything too inappropriate. But as with everything else, my mom took it like a champ. She made friends with the tattoo artists, never seeming to notice the huge gauges, piercings and tattoos which adorned their bodies. She looked at them and treated them like she would any other person....just what I would have expected out of both of my parents.

I thank God for my mom and dad every day. I am blessed beyond words to have had such loving, supportive and undiscriminating parents. I hope that as I continue to grow older, I too will be able to handle life and the curve balls that are tossed my way, with the grace and respect that they have maintained throughout their lives.

Chuck and Beverly Williams

Chuck Williams Photography

404 925-2921