Tattoo for Graduation

[Hound dog]

Yep, that's what I said..... with a grin.

N's fav place to cut back when she was cutting burning was her left leg. The poor leg is so scarred and mutilated N hasn't worn a dress or shorts in years.

Having passed out of the punk stage my tomboy N has become girlie on me. lmao She wants to wear shorts and skirts, but wouldn't because there was no way to hide the horrible scars.

Then N came up with an idea. Maybe she could come up with a pretty tattoo large enough to cover the scars so no one could see them. N opened her sketch pad and started drawing. She did a beautiful drawing of a lily (the baby's birth flower) and it was large enough to cover the scarring on her leg.

I had to pop her bubble cuz a tattoo that size would be expensive at best. I didn't have the spare cash to help her pay for it. She mentioned the idea to easy child who had been trying to decide what to get N for graduation. Next thing I know the girls are off to our local tattoo parlor. lol

The tattoo artist we have is sterile and very talented. He told N he doesn't do many flowers but would do his best. I was right, it was expensive due to size. It was also very painful since he was doing it over scar tissue.

But the tattoo worked. N now has a beautiful lily on her left calf instead of horrible scars. It looks pretty when she wears her skirts. And she's been wearing skirts every since. You just see the lily, you can't see the scars even when you look closely. :grin:

I know it's an odd grad gift. And most parents wouldn't like it at all. But I don't have a problem with tasteful tattoos, and this one is serving a useful purpose. (N also has a turtle on her shoulder) I think N came up with a creative solution to a problem that was causing her serious self image issues.

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

How fantastic!

I love that she picked a her daughter's birth flower too. It's all a sign of moving forward in her life.

I personally think it is a very cool graduation gift!

 

[dlgallant]

I'm not generally a fan of tattoos only because of the permancy of them, but I can't think of a better reason to get one. My easy child got a mayan glyph of her late brother's name on the back of her shoulder when she turned 18. She asked me to go with her and I just couldn't. I hugged and teared up a bit before she left. I too made sure she went to a reputable place to have it done. How could I be upset with her memorializing her brother? I think you do exactly the right thing.

 

[hearts and roses]

That is excellent! And its great that everyone has turned a negative into a positive! Way to be supportive~

Since difficult child tried to give herself a tattoo last year, she still has some residual ink that actually stuck - it's black and faded gray and looks ugly. So, she's going to get a real tattoo that she also designed and cover it up. I'm fine with it (I have two tattoos as well, but I didn't get mine until after I was 40).

In November when easy child is home, difficult child, easy child and I are all going to get a matching tattoo as well. It's very small and meaningful to us. How cool is that?

by the way, if you met me, you'd never guess I'd be a tattoo kind of person. People are always shocked to learn it.

I think it's great that N has turned that behavior around and made good and how lovely she chose the baby's birth flower.

 

[donna723]

My daughter has one on her leg that I think is really ugly! It's a dark silhouette of a wolfs head (from when she was going through her "wolf" phase)! If you don't already know what it is, you don't immediately realize that it's a wolf's head. It's just a big black blob on her leg. She regrets that one.

She also got a small multi-colored sunburst at the base of her neck, in the back. It's actually kind of pretty but it peeks out of the neckline of her shirts and looks just like a tag hanging out. Well-intentioned helpful people are constantly coming up behind her trying to tuck the "tag" back in to her shirt!

My daughter has two tattoos and my son has three. My sons' don't show unless he takes off his shirt - one on each shoulder and one on his back. I just cautioned both of them not to get anything that would make them the laughing stock of the nursing home some day in the very distant future! Nobody wants to see "Born To Be Wild" tattooed across somebody's wrinkled ol' rear!

 

[DazedandConfused]

I'm not a fan of tattoos, but in this case I think it's positive.


Good for her!

 

[Mickey2255]

This topic reminds me so much of something that happened when difficult child was about 3 years old. His daycare teacher's 18 year old daughter decided to get a big butterfly tattoo on her lower back. It just peaked out of the top of her pants. Mom was NOT happy about it but since daughter was 18... Well daughter showed up at the daycare wearing some rather low slung yoga pants with the tattoo peaking out. difficult child spotted the top of those wings and just HAD to see the rest. Quick as a wink he grabbed the back of her pants with both hands and pulled down!

Mom was quite pleased that she could point out to her daughter that boys indeed would want to see her tattoo!!

Michelle

 

[Alisonlg]

What a beautiful solution to a troubling problem. I love it! And her daughters birth flower! How touching!!!

 

[On_Call]

I have got to say that this was one of the very best reasons I have ever heard anyone give for getting a tatoo. Sounds like a positive covering up a negative from the past.

I would probably never suggest a graduation gift of a tatoo, but in this instance, I think it was great! Good for you!!

 

[jbrain]

I think it was great, too! I have a small butterfly tattoo on my hip that I got in 1976, before it was very common for girls to have tatoos. I was so proud of it and it showed when I wore a bikini--now no one sees it--bikini days long over!

Emily (difficult child 1) got her sister's name tattooed on her wrist and I don't care for it. I also think subconsciously it was a way to "control" Molly. She claimed it is because she loves her so much but it bothers Molly--one more thing to chain her to Emily and make her responsible for Emily's happiness.

Oops, got off on a ramble, sorry! I bet the lily is really pretty and I like that she picked it because it is her dtr's birth flower.

Jane

 

[flutterbee]

This is so symbolic. How wonderful!

 

[Wiped Out]

Lisa,
Sounds like a perfect graduation gift! I've been thinking a lot lately about getting a tatoo on my ankle-it would be a Michigan one, of course.

 

[ROE]

I think it's a great graduation gift. I'm glad it turned out well and that everyone is pleased with it.

 

[ALogan3]

<span style="color: #3333FF"> </span> Thats AWESOME!!!!

APPLAUSE!!!!!

 

[KFld]

I think it was a wonderful gift. Another good thing added to graduation that will make her feel good about herself.

I'm not a fan of huge tattoos, but I have to admit I brought my 17 year old easy child daughter just last week and signed for her to get her first tattoo. Just a small butterfly on her lower back, right above her pants line. It's really small, tasteful and when she gets older, she can cover it up.

I did make it clear this is the one and only that I will sign for. If she wants more she can wait until she's 18, or doesn't live home anymore.

The reason your daughter got hers is awesome!!!