Many years ago, I was dating someone who decided to get my name tattooed on his upper back. He had told me that he was going to do this and I remember at the time feeling a little odd. Like, what if our relationship didn’t work out? He even asked my opinion and I remember saying, “it’s your body.”
He ended up getting my name tattooed in blue – my favorite color.
The tattooed turned out nice.
And luckily, so did our relationship – we have been married since 2007.
But, not all tattoo stories end in happily-ever-after. If you have ever watched the show, Inked or Miami Ink, or any tattoo show really, you know that many times people want to get tattoos covered up for one reason or another. Sometimes it’s a person’s name, sometimes an anniversary date. And sometimes because there was too much alcohol involved at the time the tattoo was applied. Truth be told, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to love. But a tattoo is forever…
Unless you get it painfully lasered off, that is.
I have two tattoos myself and neither of them is my husband’s name. Not because I don’t love him. And not because I have doubts our relationship will last forever. Nope. I have a pretty reminder of our relationship every time I look at my left hand, ring finger. But also, because I never thought I’d have more than one tattoo.
I will admit that the tattoos on my body were greatly thought out. I got my first one at the age of 30. I had wanted one for a very long time but had a hard time committing to what I’d get permanently inked on my body.
After my grandma passed away, I had an inkling to get a sunflower on my ankle. Sunflowers have always been my favorite flower. They are bright, tall, and happy. They grow towards the sun and the sun makes me feel alive. Always. My grandma had an integral part in my upbringing even though we weren’t very close. I actually placed a sunflower in her casket before it was closed for the last time. It was not her favorite flower. I think she liked tulips the most but honestly cannot say. In a way, it was symbolic. It felt good and I was happy with how it turned out.
Fast forward five years and I became a mom to two girls. And my husband continued to ink his body. He now has one full sleeve and is working on the other arm. He has both of our girls’ names on each arm. All of his tattoos are sentimental to him. He has also always given his tattoos deep thought. He never got one on a whim.
After the birth of my second daughter, I remember going on Pinterest and browsing tattoo ideas. I specifically wanted my kids’ initials since I knew I would get the tat on my wrist. The reason for the wrist tattoo is because my mom always told me as a kid I wore my heart on my sleeve. Something I do to this day. And I wear my children on me every day (sometimes literally), they are my entire world. Anyone who knows me knows that about me.
I got my girls’ initials on my left wrist with an infinity symbol and tiny heart in the middle. I have never looked down at my wrist and regretted the tattoo. In fact, when I am at work, I will sometimes look at the tattoo and wonder how their day is going, missing them, always missing them when I am away from them.
Kids have that effect on you. No matter how crazy they drive you when you are with them, you miss them when apart. It’s like separation anxiety that never goes away. Your children become part of you from the moment they are conceived. They will always be with you, always in your thoughts, even when they are grown and raising their own families. I can’t think of any tattoo idea better than the names of your children. Period.
