I’m going to start off this post by saying: before you get a tattoo, I would advise you think long & hard about truly wanting one. My best friend once told me that if you went more than 3 months thinking about a tattoo design- then you should get it. Also, do your research before getting one! Knowing the process and watching videos of people getting tattooed calmed me down.

How it REALLY feels:

The question that I asked all of my friends who have tattoos but NEVER got a descriptive enough answer to calm my nerves.

Back of the shoulder: imagine a vibrating sewing needle repeatedly poking you. Pain 3/10- it’s true when people say it’s more uncomfortable rather than painful.

Right shoulder: same as above…HOWEVER, for 2 of the petals, it felt like a sewing needle gliding/cutting across your skin. Bearable but it still hurt. Pain 5.5/10.

Care:

This is where that research comes in handy! However, the tattoo artist will also tell you how to care for your new tattoo. My tattoo artist, Anna, was amazing! She advised me to wash them 2x a day for 2 weeks with Dial unscented, handsoap. After washing, I had to dab a paper towel on them to dry and then apply A&E ointment (which she kindly supplied.) I started moisturizing w/ Lubriderm lotion after the 5th day of care.

Meaning #1:

“Courage, dear heart” -C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia)

In Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lucy hears Aslan’s voice whispering this to her during a time when she’s feeling confused, anxious, and worried. Ever since then, I’ve always repeated this quote to myself during my frequent panic attacks.

Fun Fact: Not only was Lucy my favorite character but the 5th book was also my favorite in the series.
Religion: For those of you who’ve studied literature, or C.S. Lewis, then you would know that his series had a religious aspect to it. As a religious person myself, I would like to think of this as God telling you to have courage even in your darkest time.
Deeper meaning: I’m gonna put this out there, because I don’t like how there’s a stigma around mental illness & I’m trying to get used to talking about this. But this quote was used in my last suicide letter. So I’d like to have this as a reminder to have courage, dear heart.

Meaning #2:

My sister (left) & I (right), have decided to get matching tattoos. My biggest concern was getting a tacky/corny tattoo. We also wanted a tattoo that would symbolize something.

These flowers are taken from a scene in “Lilo & Stitch”, when Nani is singing to Lilo in the hammock. That scene has always meant a lot to us because it showed the love & bond between 2 sisters. Plus, we’ve gone through a similar experience with child care & the fear of not being together anymore. Although simple, this tattoo also means a lot to me.

Although, sent off to drift in the wind, the flowers still remained together- dancing even…

If you stuck around this long to read then thank you so much.
If you skipped to the end after reading about how getting a tattoo really felt- thank you again!

If you have any comments then leave it down below & hit the heart!

Thank you,

Jessica