An Offering of Love asked about my tattoo that’s just visible in the artichoke post.
I got this tattoo as a visible, external mark of the way I feel motherhood has changed me. My ‘mother-ness’ feels invisible whenever I’m not with Curly. I chose to have it done on the inside of my left wrist, thinking that this would be attention-getting, yet in the months I’ve had it so far, very few people have ever commented on it. But I notice it all the time, always on the edge of my vision. Just as motherhood is always on the edge of my consciousness.
Strawberry has a few tattoos as well, but this is her most recent, done on the same day and by the same artist that did mine above.
Cherry Blossoms
Here’s what she says about it “Similarly to Nutella, I feel that parenthood has changed me significantly, and I got this tattoo done to mark the passing of the first year (I will NOT be getting more to mark each year!) To me, the cherry blossoms symbolize the transient nature of time, the beauty of life and its moments, and the passage of seasons. Also, this is my largest tattoo and was a bit of a trial to decide on, to go through and to look back on. Which is very much like my thoughts on having a child in the first place.”
What about all of you out there? Have you marked your body in a physical way as the outward reflection of something major in your life?
1 In Vermillion 
Beautiful art and a thoughtful reflection.
thanks for the response! very interesting to read about! i love both of your tattoos and the meaning behind them. beautiful 🙂
the only physical marking i ever did was a belly ring in college – i thought it was rebellious (before i realized EVERYONE was getting one!) ah, youth…
i do have a special connection to the solitaire pearl necklace i bought after my miscarriage. while it isn’t a permanent physical alternation like a tattoo, i do wear it every day and like you said, i notice it throughout the day & it’s always on the edge of my awareness.
i love the pictures and the stories. my duo is almost three, and I have a number of tattoos as well. lately i have been thinking more and more about how i would mark my transition into motherhood, what picture would do it justice. i have not come up with an answer, but am still thinking about it-
Hmmm maybe I should get a tattoo! Thanks for the inspiration.
i love both tattoos! they are beautiful. i just got one about a month ago on my inner wrist that says kayden.
I have been looking at tattoo’s recently and contemplating what I want. You both made wonderful choices. The thing is, if my employer ever saw it I would be terminated. So my scrubs have to cover.
Please tell me, is it that painful? How long did each take? (I’m such a wuss;)
Thanks for the compliments everyone.
Jen- I actually have 2 tattoos. The first one is on the outside of my calf and about the size of a half dollar. I got it there because I wanted somewhere that would be easy to show off AND easy to hide. Oh, and somewhere that wouldn’t become too distorted with age, pregnancy, and weight gain/loss. It took about 15 minutes, including a 5 minute break in the middle. The wrist one took about the same amount of time. The wrist tattoo was far more painful, the calf one was painful, but bearable with calm yogic breathing and a break for water and candy. There is NO WAY I could go through the amount of time Strawberry had to sit for her tattoos. The cherry blossom one took over an hour.
To add to Nutella’s comment…
I have 4 tattoos…the cherry blossom one is by far the largest and took 1.5 hours to complete. Before that, my biggest was maybe 4 inches and took 35-45 min to do. If you choose color, it will take longer. However, the outline is what really hurts (and it also depends on where you get it- skin sensitivity). I would have to say getting a tattoo feels like being cut with a knife. True, it’s a needle, but it vibrates so fast that it doesn’t feel like one. Basically you’re getting carved 🙂
Love the tattoos. Thanks for your stories.
Thanks, ladies! I’m sooo embarrassed to ask anyone else;)
I like both tattoos– I am planning one in the exact same location as yours, Nutella… I am still mentally hashing out the design.
Nice tattoos!! I’ve been contemplating one to represent my role as mom for the years since my first munchkin was born. I now have the design/concept, just need to make the appt. I think I’m going to put it on my left shoulder, closest to my heart. I’m going to post a sketch of it once I make my appt, hopefully soon!!
Love the tat’s… I have a tat on my R inner wrist that says eternity in arabic with my dad’s gemini sign and a friends leo sign.
I really want to go get a tat to symbolize motherhood, my love for Dillon and my family, or something along those lines but haven’t come up with any good ideas yet. Also something that can be added to with any more additions we may be blessed with.
And the inner wrist does hurt the most. I have others but my smallest wrist tat was the worst.