For me, a tattoo is a springboard to a conversation. I'm always intrigued by what inspired someone to get inked. So I figured it was about time I share mine with you. I remember this was the first post I ever wrote on my old blog.... eons ago it seems. These tatts have been travelling with me for a long time now (maybe 10 years even?!).
So, this is my right hand. My shaking-hands hand. My waving hello hand. My 3 core values hand. Originally I just had "faith" on my wrist... and then a year or two later I ended up designing a scroll with "hope, love" to join in. All three of these words represent where my anchor in life lies. God is my object of faith, my reason for hope, my source for love. I can never 'regret' having such a tattoo and reminder in my life.
"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13
This is my left hand. My ring-finger hand. My chin-resting hand. The tattoo hand to remind me of how inter connected "life&death" really are. Yes, it says both... trippy, I know. Every day I'm called to die to my own selfish desires of 'me-first, me-now'... and live to the freedom and beauty I'm called to. To live selflessly... to give instead of take. To walk in the light, and not the dark.
How can I 'regret' this reminder?
You may remember the other tattoo I pointed out last week during my 'haircut' post... the Hebrew word on the back of my neck.
Yes, all my tattoos are words. Yes, they are all reminders for me.
Yes, I will always want more (but doubt the budget will comply)!
Will I 'let' my daughter get them in the future you ask? I hope we'll have a healthy discussion about her reasons and motives for it. My warning would be to take time to think about it (months even..) if you truly believe in it - it will be worth waiting for. Also, it's addictive, once you start you will be finding excuses and spare corners on your body to wedge another tatt in!
What else would I want in tattoos? I dream of a flock of birds going up my arm. Sometimes I want a bunch of tree branches weaving up my back... and this tempts me!
So there you have it... my skin. my ink. my stories.
Thanks for listening,
Mel ;o)
I love your inked words/inspirations. I would have been tattooed by now if my skin & body would accept them, but they don't. So, I keep my ink on the inside. (but secretly wish I had flowers and birds and trees up & down my arms & back, too - they're there, you just can't see them ;)
ReplyDeletehehe, thanks Caren... invisible ink eh? That's a fun way to go too... we could be the imaginary tattoed ladies at a gypsy carnival together! ;o)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I love and so much appreciate when people get tattoos that mean something, as opposed to randomly selecting a unicorn off the wall because you sporadically decided to head down to the local tattoo parlor.... I am a firm believer that if you are going to put ink on your body to carry around forever, the meaning behind it should be in your soul. I have 3 so far on my right calf and shin area. A paper crane, a symbol of me, sort of leaving my mark, i leave them wherever I go, on restaurant tables with the tip, on the stage at the bar, on a friends coffee table, so naturally, i should leave on on my body :) And the other two, my most treasured tattoos, the veins and umbilical cord from my two sons' placentas. Some people are taken aback when I tell them what they are, but they are beautiful, they look like little bonsai trees, or abstract coral. Truly one of a kind, and a constant reminder of that cherished time (which looking back always feel like a nano-second) when they are with you always, just you and them....
ReplyDeleteHi Suz, thanks for sharing... very unique.special.cherished sounding tattoos indeed. Next time I see a paper crane floating around - I'll look for you - and your ink. ;o)
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