Have you ever passed a tattoo parlor and considered, just for a quick second, getting a tattoo? You smile and laugh because you know that you never would. You say, “It’s just too risky," “I’ll hate it in 5 years" and “My parents would never approve." Sometimes, however, that permanent split-second decision is exactly what you need. I know that I did. On the day of my 18th birthday, I decided to stop in a tattoo parlor. I asked the artist for exactly what I wanted without hesitation: a unique passage of handwriting on the inside of my wrist. I had thought about it plenty of times prior, but I had faced much opposition from my father, who believed that tattoos were unprofessional and inappropriate. After over a year of arguing, an instantaneous decision to walk into that parlor left me with one of my favorite memories and prized possessions.
My tattoo says “cherish every moment that you have,” and it is in my grandmother’s handwriting. This phrase is something that she has written on all of my birthday cards ever since I can remember. It reminds me of the time that I spent at my grandparents’ house every summer. I consider it home. My grandmother is a guiding light and has supported me in everything that I’ve done, especially in helping to finance college. My tattoo is a piece of my grandmother that is with me for the rest of my life. It keeps me motivated and its placement on my wrist ensures that every day, every minute and every second, my blood is right underneath those words. Although it's permanent, these words are a natural part of my body now.
To many, the permanence of a tattoo is off-putting. Many criticize “ruining” your skin with pictures or words. Others argue tattoos are an art form. I am in the middle. As I think back to why I chose to get my little tattoo that day, it wasn’t because I loved the experience and it definitely wasn't because of the pain. It was not because I am a tattoo enthusiast or wanted to go against my parents’ beliefs. I chose to walk into that parlor that day because what I was putting on my skin was important to me and it still is. However, that is not to say that I would never again consider getting a tattoo that is not extremely important to me. No matter how trivial, if a tattoo makes you happy now, then there should be nothing stopping you from getting it right now.
The way that I started to see it after my tattoo experience is that we are all a sum of what we value in exactly this moment. It doesn’t matter if you don’t value it in five months, two years or a decade. The permanence of tattoos should not be a factor when getting a tattoo. They are for you and what you felt was important enough to get tattooed on you at 18 years old should still be meaningful at 92 years old. I was faced with a choice, sitting in that chair on my 18th birthday, to either face the handwriting towards me or towards others. I chose to face it towards me because I didn’t get it for anyone else. I see the words, and it gets me through the day now. Sometime in the future, there might be a day when these words do not mean anything to me, but I will not regret having them on my wrist. They are now a part of me, and I am very thankful for that split-second decision.
Over six months later, when I see my tattoo, I think of all that there is in the future. I have goals to get a tattoo for every major life event, like getting married and having children. I look forward to experiencing what is in store for me and my tattoo now is just a small piece of that. This gives me an incentive to move forward and do the best that I can because every moment should be cherished. In the big picture, a looming finals week and college as a whole is just another moment to enjoy, but there is also so much left to come. I can thank my little tattoo and my grandmother for that outlook.
