My friend Allison lost her father a few years ago, and she’s planning on getting a shrimp cocktail tattoo in his memory (and his love of cooking). How sweet! I was curious, so I asked Cup of Jo readers: Instagram To share meaningful tattoos…
“Three years ago we had a big memorial for my brother Justin. The cherry blossoms are here in Washington DC, where Justin and I lived for many years as adults. Also, there are cherry blossom trees at Zen temples in Japan; Justin was a student of Buddhism. Finally, as you may know, cherry blossoms (historically in Japan) represent the ephemeral nature of life. I felt like the universe was leading me to this world. @simbalysm She took care of the chair and the care and made this perfect piece of art that I can carry with me.” Janine (On top of that)
“The arrow tattoo on my ring finger reminds me that even when life is tough, great things are usually just around the corner. It reminds me of the saying, ‘You can only shoot an arrow by drawing it back.'” — Stacey
“When we adopted our son, my birth mother and I went to get tattoos. We were both happy to have a way to honor our bond. My birth mother got her son’s name tattooed on her hand, and I got fiddlehead plants. There are big and small fiddleheads, like mothers and babies. Although I didn’t actually give birth, becoming a mother felt like a rebirth. Then in the spring my son was born.” — Heidi
“When my youngest son was 3 years old, he was in the middle of cancer treatment. He was bored, and he had a scrap of paper, so he drew a picture of himself holding a chemo pole. It’s a record, a time in time, of how he saw himself and what he was going through. He’s now healthy, he plays soccer, he’s a normal kid, and he feels just great.” — Logan
“The state bird of Maine is the black-capped chickadee. I’m not from Maine, but this is my home. My wife and I were married here, we bought our home here, and we built our community here.” — Stephanie
“Many years ago, as I was rushing to catch a bus after eating dim sum with my grandparents, my popo (“grandma” in Chinese) urged me to stop to pick up a floral party favor she had received from a wedding at a restaurant the night before. She said it was for good luck. I didn’t know it at the time, but that would be the last time I would see my popo. She passed away a few months later. I got this tattoo as a reminder to myself to slow down and savor moments with the people I love.” — Brittany
“She’s my favorite person to have a meal or a drink with. She’s the kind of friend you can seriously ask, ‘Have you noticed my face looks different lately?’ and get a thoughtful answer. She’s the source of youthful energy I need all the time. She’s my sister.” Liz
“I designed this tattoo as a still life of my family, with my sons’ toy swords and tea sets strewn around the house and a messy family dinner. The boots and hat are a reference to a lyric in my husband and I’s wedding song: ‘Spanish leather boots and woollen hats.’ Every time I look down, my heart flutters with a glimpse of the life we’ve built together.” — Hannah
“I got this tattoo as a ‘growing heart’ at the end of a momentous year in Germany, when I called off my wedding and fled to family in Berlin. What was meant to be a year of escapism with minimal work and maximum infidelity turned into 2020 – a year for me of the pandemic and serious therapy and reflection. This tattoo reminds me that nothing stays the same, and that even the worst situations can turn into the most magical ones.” — Esther
Do you have any meaningful tattoos? I’d love to hear about them…
PS More reader tattoos have been added, with eight readers sharing photos of when they felt beautiful.
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
