Connecting The Dots, INK-styled

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."

Many of the people I've spoken to over the years have very strong opinions about tattoos. Some are in the "absolutely NOT" camp, while others are eager to cover every inch of skin with artwork. For those who have tattoos, the choices and reasons behind them are as diverse as the people whom I've asked about it. Some get completely frivolous artwork, while others go with symbols that have a deeper meaning.I am one of those who chose deep meaning.

It took me a very long time to decide on my first tattoo. I searched through thousands of images and ideas over the years and then one day I came across a photo of the Celtic Tree of Life. I have strong Celt ties in my ancestry on both sides of my family and as I began reading about this ancient legend, I learned that the Celtic Tree of Life symbolizes harmony and balance, wisdom and strength, and it also represents growth. All of these things resonate with me and so this tree became the first step along my  Inked journey. Today, two years later, I've taken my second step.

I thought I was going to read a book during my "Inking" today, but the moment the needle touched the extremely sensitive skin around my belly button, I knew that was a wash. No way was I going to be able to concentrate on reading AND stay on top of the pain. So instead, while I reclined on the chair at Deja Vu Tattoo, I let my mind call up all of the internal pains I have carried over the years as a sort of counterbalance to the physical pain of the needle on my skin. At first, it was an effort to concentrate on pulling one hurt or another up, as I had to really focus in order to stay on top of the very real pain being inflicted on my tummy. But before long, it became a swift, steady mental movie in flash forward. I focused my eyes on the light above me, a quiet contrast to the very black ceiling backdrop and told myself to let each of those pains go. As Eric, my tattoo artist, carefully created the violets and butterfly on my tummy, I released all of those internal pains and let them go. I chose the violets because they are associated with one of my happiest childhood memories. As a little girl, I used to play in the yard on sunny days in Springtime and one of my favorite things to do was make crowns, necklaces, and bracelets out of the hundreds of violets that grew wild in our yard. Then, all decked out in Mother Nature's jewels, I'd let my imagination take me to all sorts of magical, faraway places. The violets I had Eric put on my tummy today connect a happy memory from my broken childhood to the vibrant children who came from my own womb. They represent new growth in the "blossoming" of my girls. And the blue butterfly, he is the symbol for my son.

Butterflies, in general, have symbolized life, change, and/or rebirth throughout numerous cultures for thousands of years. A blue butterfly is thought to symbolize joy or a change. Butterflies are also symbolic of a person's essence or soul. In Ancient Rome, violets were symbols of mourning, as well as affection for the one who had passed on. Christian mythology associates violets with the Virgin Mary, one legend stating that all violets were white, but turned purple due to Mary's distress at seeing her son suffer and then get crucified. Violets in wedding bouquets represent promise and faithfulness and are symbolic of "family". Eric did an amazing job of creating a visual that connects my internal dots into something truly beautiful (the picture does not do his work justice).

*www.ehow.com/about_6547448_meaning-violet-flowers_.html

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