With autoimmune illness, she lives in the moment
This tattoo helps Cynthia Dawn Clevenger deal with her health challenges.
“The toughest part about dealing with my autoimmune illness is just the unknown. A lot of people wear those little ribbons and bands to represent what illness they’re dealing with, but I decided on this tattoo. It’s a little bird with the word ‘free.’ I wanted something to remind me that you don’t have to live in fear. You can be free from it.“
“In 2012, I was in this place where I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. My sister had a best friend who lived in Italy, and she asked me to go with her to visit. So I got my passport and decided that since I always wanted to go to London, I would go there by myself for a couple of days before I went to Italy. That was an incredible experience to just pick up and go to a foreign country on my own. I’ve tried to do other things that I would never have done before.
“The hardest part is living in the moment and not worrying about the future. The last couple of years, I’ve worked really hard on that. When something happens, I try not to project too much fear. I just think, this is happening and I’m going to get through it. I’m going to be OK.”
— Cynthia Dawn Clevenger
As a member of the Clear Creek Girls, she sings and plays the fiddle and mandolin. Her high-pitch voice is featured in the song, “Poor Wayfaring Stranger.”
(Note: Cynthia Dawn Clevenger passed away on Jan. 26, 2022.)
Related:
