My Mama didn’t have any tattoos. And it’s not that she didn’t like them. I think she just didn’t like the idea of her kids getting them. Out of my brother and sister, I was her only child who didn’t have any tattoos….that is until last week.
After she passed away in January, I was already thinking about getting a tattoo and what it would look like. Then, about a month ago, my sister texted me saying she was setting up an appointment to have a tattoo done in memory of our Mama as well. I think I may have caught my sister off guard when I asked if I could join her. But she was able to get both of us scheduled for a session on April 8 - another adventure checked off for the two of us.
Going into this, I knew I didn’t want a large tattoo or something too small. After all, this was my first tattoo and I didn’t know what my pain tolerance would be going into it. I also wanted to make sure I had somewhat of an idea of what I wanted instead of going in completely undecided. Ultimately, I decided on an infinity symbol, which symbolizes my love for my Mama – never-ending and the first lines to the chorus of her favorite song How Great Thou Art.
And like a true journalist, I did my research beforehand. I initially wanted the tattoo to go on my ankle, but after multiple articles said the ankle was one of the more painful areas, I quickly changed my mind. Again, this was my first tattoo. I ended up choosing my forearm/wrist area. And since I’d never gotten a tattoo, I didn’t know what to expect as far as pain. So I made sure I stayed really hydrated, ate a good breakfast and ate little snacks – all things that articles suggested to do to minimize pain and take my mind off the needle jabbing my skin. I went into the tattoo shop thinking if I could go through hip surgery at not quite two years old, I could do this. I’m telling ya, I meant business. I even looked into what I needed to do as far as after-care and I double-checked to make sure everything was spelled correctly on both of our tattoos.
I ended up going first because my tattoo was going to be much smaller than my sister’s – and way more detailed, too. Was I scared? No. Nervous? A little, but they were more good nerves than anything. I was just excited to see the final product. It’s hard to explain what it feels like to get a tattoo for someone who is thinking about getting one. The best way I can explain it is a stinging/buzzing sensation. I guess it depends on pain tolerance, but for me personally it was a breeze – at least in the area where I got my tattoo. The closest thing I felt as far as “pain” was when the infinity symbol was being filled in – I would honestly just call that discomfort more than pain. What I’m trying to say is I handled it like a champ. I didn’t chicken out like my dad and brother thought I was going to do. My sister and I drove a little over an hour to get these tattoos and I wasn’t backing out.
If my Mama were here to see our tattoos, I pretty much know how she would react. She would be “mad” at first, saying we needed these tattoos like we needed a hole in the head and then after a while, she would like them. I can only imagine what she was thinking looking down on us in the tattoo shop that day.
I don’t know if this tattoo is a one and done kind of thing or not. I told my dad that when he passes away (hopefully many, many years from now) I’d get one for him, too.
And before I forget, I’d also like to take a minute to thank Joey Byars at Rebel Ink Tattoo in Boiling Springs for his amazing work on mine and my sister’s pieces. He really made our pieces come to life and he made getting my first tattoo an enjoyable experience. You can check out his work on Facebook or Instagram – he’s really good at what he does. I would never get one, but the horror movie tattoos are some of my favorites that he’s done. The rest of the staff are super talented as well and overall really friendly and chill people. If, and that’s a big IF I get another tattoo, I know where I’ll be going.
