Closure. Rest well in God's hands, dear friend.

I've been putting off getting a "rest in peace" memorial tattoo for Matt Hughes, for a couple of years now. Matt (along with his little brother Ryan) was my best friend growing up, from the time that we were both babies. We were always together as children, and then experiences most of our first "rebellious times" together as teenagers. Our first tastes of whiskey, beer and wine. Our first cigarettes. Sneaking out at night. Dabbling with smoking weed. Things like this. Most of them inspired by our desire to impress the neighbor girls.

Growing up, we spent a lot of time out in the woods camping, backpacking, and shooting our BB guns. We thought we were so cool drinking late at night and putting out cigarettes on our arms. They really were good times.

Throughout life, Matt was there for me through all of my life changing events and tragedies. He was there when we graduated Cub Scouts and became Boy Scouts. He was there when my uncle/biological grandfather Bob died. He was there for me when my other two grandfathers, Ed and Don passed away as well. He was there when my biological mother died during the summer after our junior year of high school. He was there when my sister Meghan went into a coma that same year, and again when my cousin Katy was killed by a drunk driver. Unfortunately he was in a coma himself later that year when I had to put my kitten down. After a week or so, he came out of the coma, and the joy that his recovery brought overshadowed the loss of my kitty by far. He was there for countless conversations in the tent on our week long backpacking trips that we'd take with our fathers and Ryan every summer. He was there to celebrate with me after we both graduated high school in 2001. Thankfully, he was also able to be there to support me when I married the girl of my dreams four years ago. I just wish that when Emma and I have children in the future they would have been able to know him.

There will be plenty of stories for them though, that's for sure. And, there will always be a tattoo on their father's right calf to celebrate his life, and some of the silly, memorable and significant things about our lives together.

I feel like getting this tattoo has allowed me to bring an extra sense of closure to my life. I have had a really hard time letting him go over the past two and a half years since he died, and this has allowed me to say goodbye in a new way.

I will always remember you, Matthew Alan Hughes. You're often in my thoughts, and always in my heart. I love you, dear brother. So, until I see you again...rest well in God's hands.

1982 - 2007

It's hard to see in this picture, but there is also a BB gun on the side, with a bunch of BBs around it. The roses are also significant.

When I get back from Switzerland we have a little more work to do on it, adding some more black work and some colors. This is it mostly done though.