The Lotus Tattoo
“The Lotus Tattoo” is a remarkably candid memoir of one woman’s story of resilience after abuse and the fear, anger, and mind games she battles along the way.”
When I wrote The Lotus Tattoo – One Woman’s Grit from Bully to Redemption, I didn’t have an initial goal in mind. I had started writing several books over the years, but the ideas and my passion drifted away the more I talked about my book writing to others. This time was different.
It all started when I was in a workshop at my nutritionist’s office. She knew of my Sicilian background and how I learned to cook, making homemade pastas, pizzas and all the wonderful recipes that my mom had taught me to make. She also knew I had converted my mother’s recipes to meet my new dietary restrictions—grain-free and dairy-free versions of my Sicilian home cooking.
In our workshop, she called on me with this prompting “You have a great story about your cooking, can you share your story with the class?”
When I went home that night, my instincts were telling me, I have an even better story to tell. And my passion to write my memoir began. Day and night the chapters, stories, and experiences in my book kept popping into my head. I need to write about this. I need to tell them about that. I wasn’t sure who I was writing for, but the drive to keep going was fierce.
As I began to tell friends and family about my book, I noticed a change from my past writing experiences. I was overwhelmed with words of encouragement and excitement. When I shared some of my stories, my friends called me brave and courageous. I also found many could relate yet they were too fearful to talk about it with others.
That last part is what fueled my passion to keep writing. If I could touch just a few by talking about my past and help them not feel so alone and isolated, imagine how many I could touch by finishing this book!
Eighteen months later my book was published in October 2019. And with it came my passion for building this website. I now have a goal. My goal is to ensure that no one feels alone or ashamed of who they are. That there is help to those seeking it, and this website is our community to support one another throughout the process.
If you’ve been inspired by my book, resonated with my story or experienced a mindful shift, I challenge you to share what you’ve learned about yourself in the comments below. And be encouraged knowing that you may touch someone else by doing so – We would all love to hear from you and Thank You for sharing!
Together, we are not alone.
Peace, love and happiness,
Marisa
