46- My Birthday Tattoo

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It's my birthday!

Today also marks 8 years of blogging. 

Every year, I blog on my birthday. It helps me look back over the past birthday posts to see where I was, and realize what an amazing year it's been - and then I think about how I'll look back next year and be even more amazed.

In year 45, these things happened:

• I published 5 books.
• I started and completed the first part (Bachelor's degree) of a Metaphysical Ph. D program with the University of Sedona.
• I started an author website for myself (AliceLangholt.com).
• I became certified to officiate weddings (I'm booked for two weddings in 2016!)
• I created a new idea to make 2016 more meaningful for everyone.
• One daughter became a Bat Mitzvah (I threw the party - that was a lot of planning!)
• Another daughter spent a month at Brandeis University over the summer.
• I made it through a season as a Marching Band Mom.
• My son started going to a magnet middle school for the highly gifted student.
• I went to Iowa on a Transcendental Meditation Retreat.
• I was in a musical with all four kids and my husband.
• And lots, lots more. What an amazing year!!

I also started realizing some deep, spiritual things about life. That's the biggest part for me. My studies, and introspection, have led me to understand that there is a true essence of who we are. This true essence is not our thoughts, not our feelings, not our bodies. It's not our experiences, or even our gifts and talents. All of those are like clouds- they pass along. What stays? What is underneath all of that? The part that's left is the part that I am when I'm offering Reiki to another person - because that's the part that connects us all to each other. It's not a part, really, it's the real me. Bigger than any perception of individuality.

And so, I ask myself, what IS this real me made of? What characteristics does it have? It is not emotions, thoughts, or matter. What IS it? 

Love. It's love. 

I know this because from a deep, spiritual place of knowing, comes the understanding that Love is what heals. Love is what soothes. Love is what we are when we're doing and being our very best selves. 

A few months ago, I woke in the morning with the words, "Live Love" in my mind. I turned those words over and over. The real me is Love, so that's who should live AS me. This Love, it's infinite. 

I started to think of a design. An infinity sign, with the words Live Love entwined at the "v". I sketched it out, and sent it to a graphic artist.

And... 

Yesterday, I got my first (and probably my only) tattoo. I did this because I want to wear my biggest, strongest insight and value. I want it to remind me daily, in its beauty and message, of who I am, so I can always come back to BEing Love.

Here it is (this is a real picture of my arm, with fresh tattoo):

My first tattoo.

It stung a bit, but didn't hurt as much as I was afraid it might. I have also been applying Reiki liberally to help it heal, along with the other care instructions my artist gave me.

Something even nicer is that my husband, Evan, got his first tattoo too. He got an OM symbol, chosen for the same basic reason - because he meditates, and the word OM represents the sound that is all things - the infinite. This is his own way of expressing it. We both got tattoos placed a couple inches below the wrist. And we did it together. So we're sharing another bonding experience - and I love that.

Immediately after getting the tattoo, I met a new Reiki client at my office for a session. It was wonderful for us both. Last night, I took my daughters out to dinner (the guys were volunteering for the Salvation Army Angels and then at the basketball game at Verizon Center). Right before I paid the tab, an amount just more than my tab arrived in my paypal account. I was blessed, at the perfect time, with the opportunity to send a distance healing. 

So far, 46 is turning out to be an epic year.