As of right now, I have six tattoos, each with a different meaning. I get asked a lot about what each one means. Some of them are simple, while others are broad and long. So, I decided to write an article about it.
1. Memorial Tattoo (July 14, 2017)
This is the very first tattoo I got. I had just turned 18 and had been planning this tattoo since I was eight years old. This is for my grandfather, who is a big inspiration to me. He is one of the most important people in my life, and he changed it in a bigger way than most think. He died in 2007, and from that day on I knew I was going to get one for him. It wasn’t until I was 16 when I decided to make it my first. He died on Sept. 23, and the caterpillar is there because it was something that we bonded over a lot when I was a little kid.
2. Semicolon Tattoo (Jan. 28, 2018)
Every tattoo after the memorial tattoo, including this one, was done by someone named Marcos who owns Lucky Cat Tattoo in downtown North Adams. I got this one before he opened up his shop. The meaning of this is kind of obvious, if you know the meaning of the semicolon. To put it in simple terms, a part of the story goes something like this: “authors use semicolons to not end sentences, but to continue them. From this, we are the authors of our lives where we chose not to end it, but to continue it, no matter how hard it gets.” This really stuck with me, so much to where I got it tattooed on me.
3. Saturn Tattoo (March 23, 2018)
This is the tattoo that confuses everyone on the meaning. With this tattoo, there are actually many meanings hidden within this tattoo. With the mountains, this represents being at a high point and to stay humble about it. The river represents remembering to just go with the flow of things because you never know what can happen. The forest represents living life to the fullest, since the forest is a place where life thrives. The planet Saturn represents change, and for me, change is good in some proportions. Overall, this tattoo is a reminder. A reminder to live my life as best as I can and that it is okay to mess up sometimes.
4. Spiral Tattoo (Nov. 29, 2018)
This tattoo was one I didn’t expect me to get. On April 23, 2018, I went to the hospital for some severe abdominal pain. Turns out, I have this ovarian disease known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS for short). My family is known for having ovarian problems, so while, yes, it was a surprise, it wasn’t at the same time. I just didn’t expect it to happen this early in life, but I’m still learning to live with it. This tattoo is an awareness that I have this, and I can get through it. The color for PCOS is teal, so I wanted to incorporate that. I also wanted to be very subtle about it. This is something that is a sensitive topic, so I didn’t want to make it obvious what this was.
5. Sunflower Tattoo (March 8, 2019)
The placement of this tattoo couldn’t have been more perfect, since I feel the meaning of this goes with the semicolon tattoo. It is known that the sunflower is the only flower to directly face the sun, and when the sun is set, they will face the east, anticipating the rising of the sun. For me, this represents looking on the bright side of things and looking in a more positive outlook. If you know me in real life, then you would know that I am very pessimistic. I try to look positive sometimes, but not enough. This gives me the opportunity to remind myself that looking in a positive view isn’t all that bad.
6. Paw Tattoo (Oct. 28, 2019)
This tattoo is something I didn’t expect to have so early in my life. I had a dog named Chewie, who passed away on Aug. 19. He was my best friend and I love him so much, that once he was gone, I wanted something to remind me of him and all our good memories. So, what better than a tattoo. I wanted this tattoo to be as special as it can get, so I decided to draw it myself. I love how the drawing came out, and Marcos did an amazing job putting that drawing into reality for me. I love it so much, I immediately started crying after I saw it done for the first time. This tattoo holds a special place in my heart, and it does Chewie the justice he deserves.