“It's okay to change your mind” - Tonia Winchester

For my entire life I was convinced and vocally shared that I would never have anything that was so important and permanent in my life that I would get it tattooed on my body.

💃Not dance.

🏞️Not nature.

🍃🩺Not naturopathic medicine.

💍Not my husband.

🐈‍⬛🐈Not my cats.

For 42 years.

💟💟💟

And then my Dad died.

Just after my Dad’s service last August, my sister told me she was going to get a tattoo, inspired by our family dishes.

My Nana first started collecting the colourful set, and then my parents started around the time of their wedding in 1975.

My sister and I have always loved these dishes. Bright. Vibrant. Happy. Bold.

🐦🌸Dancing birds and flowers. 🐦🌸

Truly a perfect ceramic reflection of our silly, sibling effervescentness. No it’s not a word. Just roll with me here.

Let alone, the countless festive celebrations and occasions we shared with those dishes front and centre. Being together as family. Laughing. Sharing. Dreaming. Supporting. Singing (although singing at the table was banned in our family home… because… well… Lisa and I might have over done it). 🤭

The family joke is who will get more of the dishes when both our parents are gone. The good news is Nana gave Mom her entire set, so now she two. And she has two daughters. 😅

📋 You may or may not catch me taking inventory at my mom’s house. 😉

🍺There are some unique pieces like the beer stein which I have pre-inherited.

🥚🥚The egg cups already went to my sister, because why would you only have one egg cup? It didn’t make sense to divide them up. And also who uses egg cups? 🤷‍♀️ (My sister does).

I mean… I’ll drink coconut tequila out of one. In a pinch. You know.

💟💟💟

My dad died exactly one year ago today, June 29th, 2022.

The year of firsts is officially over.

I’m grateful for that.

No more thinking (/dreading) this is the first Christmas, birthday, anniversary… etc… without him.

Of course, grief will continue to be there and evolve, an indication of the special person we lost.

When my sister told me of her tattoo plans, I decided in this year of firsts that I would get my first tattoo. To honour my Dad, our family, and our values of love, connection, support, and play.

I call her my wishing bird, and for those reading this I wish for you that you have in your life someone as open, and kind-hearted as my Dad.

He was a man who’s eyes literally twinkled when he got to care for others. The pinnacle of unconditional love.

🦄A real-life unicorn.

I love you, Dad, and hope that your next adventure is filling you up exactly how you filled those who were lucky enough to know you.

🐦🌸🍽️☺️💞

Tonia

PS: It's okay to change your mind, even if your mind has been made up one way for a long time.