“To me, tattoos are an expression of your life and your passions, and it just felt right to have them on my body permanently.”
Down her left arm are the names of the three oldest girls in each of their own handwriting from school work.
Screenshot: Omaha World Herald
At first, Andy wasn’t sure what to add to her arm in Anniston’s memory, since the youngest Speer was two and hadn’t yet learned to write her name.
That’s when Andy remembered a photo her sister once sent to her.
“My sister had been working from home one day and was on a conference call when Anniston tried to get her attention by saying, ‘Mommy, Mommy, Mommy,’ over and over again.”
While Michelle had been preoccupied with the conference call, Anniston had been creating a masterpiece on the WALL with markers.
Andy Cortes
When she discovered what her daughter had been up to, Michelle sent the photo to Andy with the story of Anniston’s artwork.
It was the marker drawing that made the grieving aunt’s tattoo complete.
Andy Cortes
“I think it has helped me with the healing process to have these tattoos on my arm—I get to tell their story, share my memories with people, and keep them alive in a sense.”
Andy says she struggles daily to be strong “while dealing with such a huge hole” in her life. But having their memories on her arm makes it a little bit easier to find the strength to get her through the day.
