My Crosses

When people ask why I make so many tatted crosses, the answer is much bigger than lace.

It begins with four women.

And one remarkable mother.

Back in 2010, my sister was walking through one of the hardest seasons of her life. She moved in with my family, and somewhere in the middle of the uncertainty, we found healing in an unexpected place—the open road.

Almost every weekend, my sister and I would climb into her truck and just drive. Before long, my daughter joined us whenever she could, and eventually our niece became part of the adventure too.

The four of us wandered the back roads of South Georgia, North Florida, and southeastern Alabama. We rarely had a destination. We'd come to a crossroads, pick a direction, and see where it led. We discovered little towns, old churches, country stores, forgotten cemeteries, and beautiful places we never would have found if we'd made a plan.

Those miles gave us something we all needed.

Time together.

Laughter.

Healing.

Friendship.

Family.

One day my niece suggested we all get matching tattoos.

I wasn't exactly eager. At forty-two years old, getting a tattoo had never been on my list. But I told the girls that if we were going to do it, it had to mean something. It had to tell our story.

A friend took my idea and drew four infinity hearts woven together to form a cross.

At the place where all four hearts meet, we dedicated that center to our mama—"NeNe" to the grandgirls.

She never got the tattoo herself.

She didn't need to.

She is the center.

She is the one who taught each of us to love Jesus. She taught us that Jesus Christ is our Savior. She raised us to trust God, to love one another, and to hold tightly to our faith when life became difficult.

Without her...

There would be no "us."

Each arm of the cross represents one of the four girls—my sister, my daughter, my niece, and me.

Together, they remind us of our faith, our family, our friendship, our commitment to one another, and the promise that no matter where life leads, we walk together.

Every time I look at that tattoo on my left wrist, I remember all of it.

Not just the road trips.

Not just the laughter.

Not just the adventures.

I remember the woman who held our family together and pointed us to Jesus.

That's why I make tatted crosses.

Yes, they proclaim the greatest story ever told—that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, rose again, and offers salvation to everyone who places their faith in Him. The cross is our hope, our forgiveness, and our eternal promise. As The Bible reminds us:

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (NKJV)

But every cross I tie also carries another reminder.

It reminds me of my crosses.

Of four women whose lives are forever connected.

Of a mama whose love still holds us together.

Of miles of back roads filled with laughter.

Of choosing each other again and again.

When someone takes home one of my tatted crosses, I hope they receive more than a handmade gift.

I hope they receive a reminder.

A reminder that Christ's love is unchanging.

That family is a blessing.

That friendships are gifts from God.

That hope is never lost.

And maybe, in a small way, each cross is like sharing a tiny piece of the one on my wrist—a reminder of the love that binds us together and the Savior who is at the very center of it all.

Why Crosses?

Why Handmade Still Matters in a Fast-Paced World