I hesitate to post this picture that hubby took of me yesterday, before we took off on the bike.
Some of my friends who have been reading my blog for a long time know that I have tattoos. I have a sleeve on my right arm & the theme of it is The Chronicles of Narnia. It took 18 months to do, in 4 hour sessions each month, and cost $6,000. It was my first tattoo.
The chest piece I have is themed after the poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) called "First Fig":
My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
It gives a lovely light!
I chose this because of all the health concerns I have (hypertension almost all of my adult life, arthritis & knee problems starting in my early 40s, diabetes, etc.). I always thought the candle of my life is not going to burn as long as many other people so burning it at both ends (not in the bad sense of the term!), to at least get the benefit of the whole candle, has always been my attitude. My life gives off a "lovely light" no matter that it burns faster.
That's it. I only have two tattoos but they cover a large area. I've had them almost 20 years. They're still beautiful because I take good care of them. I have too much money & too much pain invested with them not to.
I'll share close-up pictures of them one day, with all of you, so you can see the detail. I have portraits of my children & grandchildren incorporated into the Narnia sleeve and scenes from the story. Some folks have preconceived notions & biases about tattoos so that's why I didn't know if I should share this picture or not.
Something inside me says I don't have to be worried at all. :-)
Much love, Andrea xoxo
You don't have to worry! They are not my thing, but that's ok. I love your poem and I love Narnia and the fact that you have your family in it!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you carefully selected tattoos that have deep meaning for you. I do not have any, but my granddaughter has one on her wrist. Our two newest granddaughter-in-laws have a few on their ankles and arms. I absolutely respect those who choose to get them. Everyone expresses themselves in different ways, and this is just one example of what makes life and people so beautifully unique.
ReplyDeleteNo worries at all, my friend!! Everyone around here has tats, and I find it fun to look at them and try to figure out what they are and what it means to the person. Our granddaughter, who is in college, recently got a really large one. I would love to see the details, they are really an art form.
ReplyDeleteI have enough pain so I am passing on the tats! You do you!
ReplyDeleteNo, you don't have to worry. My son and daughter-in-law both have multiple tattoos. I keep thinking that eventually they will all be connected but so far it's not the case. My daughter has a couple small ones.
ReplyDeleteI've never had the desire to get one but I admire the art work in some of them.
It's a personal thing, so I echo the comments above - you do you!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
Ellie
Hello beautiful lady! I knew you were heavily tattooed because you've mentioned it before. They have meaning to you and that's all that matters! I have one tiny tattoo on my right ankle, but I always wanted to get another one somewhere! Thanks for sharing that picture! Now I know who to look for if we ever get the chance to meet in person! XO
ReplyDeleteThat’s a great photo Andrea and we can all see what a beautiful lady you are, inside and out. One of my niece’s has similar tattoos and she is a sweet lady too. You have a great attitude towards life. I truly admire that.
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