I Choose God

Around my 21st birthday, I branded myself with a tattoo that said, “the flow of consciousness” in Chinese. Years later, I asked a family friend, Ms. Zee, to confirm its accuracy, and she assured me it was correct. Now, at 52, I pass this cool, flowing wisdom to my child, helping her understand the significance of the tattoo, the name Dearest, and my connection to the hula hoop. On Monday, October 14, as my only daughter turns 21, I feel as though I’m being reborn alongside her. Will she choose to brand herself, as I did so many years ago, or will she simply tune in to the rhythm of her own life, listening to the vibrations of her hula hoop?