I’d never wanted a tattoo. It wasn’t that I was opposed to them. I just didn’t know of anything that I wanted to put on my body forever. Being 32 years old, I just thought I’d never get one.

It’s amazing how one, little, simple, black mark can have so much meaning. A cross, the size of dime, on the base of my pinkie.

My tattoo is a part of me, literally. It’s etched into my skin and will remain there, just like our pursuit and journey to adopt is etched into our soul. I know that many of you have heard about some of the bumps in the road that we have recently faced, but we have complete and total faith that this is a part of our journey. I’ve learned a lot about faith in the last 17 months. “Just have faith.” It’s simplex. It’s complete and total trust. It’s based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. But what I’ve learned is that it is not blind.

Although at times in our journey I’m not always sure of where we are heading, I have complete and total faith that where we end up is where we are supposed to be. My faith is with eyes wide open. Just because I don’t always understand, doesn’t mean I’m not listening, watching, being present.

It’s amazing how one, small, simple mark on my left hand can mean so much. I know that my faith will remain, just as will my tattoo.

~Chelsea