Divinity

"Your dream does not have an expiration date." That was mine. My personal message and proof of her higher power. Everybody has one right below the hip bone.

It's called a Votum meaning vow. Most just call it a 'Tu, short for Votum and Tatoo, a life affirming little note tailored to each person's individual flaw or weakness. Mine is time, or more specifically, always feeling like I don't have enough of it (because of my poor use of it).

For instance I often get a really cool idea, but because I've procrastinated doing the last five great ideas, and actual important things, it gets put on hold. Then because I attempt to do all these things at once because my brain hates me, I go off the deep end from the stress. Lastly I'm filled with an overwhelming sense of failure and the fear that I'll never be able to accomplish my goals, because there's just not enough time. It's an absolute vicious process and my friend Ace, who has been through it with me many times, loves to say I enjoy self loathing. To which I always say that yep, it just really gets me going.

He's my absolute closest friend and usually the one to remind me to take a breath and read my 'Tu. Sure he doesn't actually know what it says, but 'Tu's are there to comfort your biggest fear and figuring out that the only thing I consistently have panic attacks over is my biggest fear doesn't exactly take a couple of Einsteins.

I love Ace to death, but to show someone your 'Tu is to bear your very soul and believed to be just about the most sacred thing you can do.

Holy even.

Honestly considering they're a gift from God herself, probably shouldn't be treated any less.

The story goes that in the year 2100, a woman descended from the heavens as if walking down the steps of a palace. She possessed all the grace of a queen and an ethereal quality that was other worldly. Everyone in the world could see her at once. She was everywhere, but she wasn't. She wore a simple knee length gown, hair down to her hips and had a white chrysanthemum placed behind her ear. Her smile spoke kindness while eyes showed a millennia of age. It is said all who looked upon her felt joy and because the entire world looked upon her, it shone brighter than the sun.

Afterward no one would agree on details like size, age or race and it wasn't till years later that it was decided that how she appeared must've depended on who she was appearing to, but her words were heard around the world the same everyone, "You have suffered greatly my children, as you must, but I will bestow to you a reminder that my love trancends all suffering."

That's when the "Tu's showed up, from then forward people were born with them. Needless to say the world turned upside down.

Lots of people agreed she was god, most from already existing religions that contradicted. Plenty held out though scrambling for other explanations. Imagine that.

"God is not a woman! Can't be!" or "This is impossible... there's no such thing." or "It was mass hallucination!" I mean you know shit has hit the fan when 'God' is actually the most intelligent answer.

It's been about a hundred years since the "enlightenment" and while there are groups of religious weirdos who worship Her and basically made up an entire backstory akin to fan fiction, most people nowadays just quietly agree there's a higher power.

No real religion or rules to follow except for the whole sacred 'Tu thing. Oh also we call her Divinity. 'God', I guess was a bit too last century.