For those who haven't seen me in the last five months, and have not yet passed out from reading the title of this blog post, let me share a bit with you about why I decided to get a tattoo.
I was NEVER a tattoo person. Ever. I was the girl who hid under the table (probably until junior high....maybe after) when I had to get a shot. I was never against tattoos per se (now, I personally don't think sleeves or head or full body tattoos are particularly attractive), but I was most definitely against needles. I could never imagine myself EVER getting a tattoo.
Hatred of needles + not imaging anything I'd want on my body forever (especially as a saggy grandma) = Amy never getting a tattoo.
Until...
....about a year and a half ago.
I was in Romania, and I saw a good friend of mine, who had spent a lot of time in Romania, with a small "RO" tattoo on his ankle. I loved it. I immediately thought, "Now, that's something I would want on my person for the rest of my life."
The wheels started turning. I started thinking about it quite a bit. I knew I couldn't get a tattoo on my ankle as it was way too close to my CRPSy feet. I knew I didn't want it to be hidden. If I was going to get a tattoo, it was going to be where I could always see it. So, a wrist was the only option left. I continued to ponder...
Romania is obviously insanely important to me, so I wanted to do it there. I knew my next trip (this last summer) would be my tenth journey over to my second home, so it seemed like an appropriate time.
So, the only question left was what to get--on my person. Forever. And ever. Amen.
Through a lot of thought, and a lot of church bulletin doodling and drawing on my skin, I came to the conclusion that I wanted "mercy" in Romanian on my left wrist. Why "mercy," you ask? Well...
1 Peter 1:3-4:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I could go on and on about the mercies of our Lord, but I think those verses suffice for now.
I knew my wrist would be one of the last things I’d see before turning off the light at night and one of the first things I’d see when I woke up in the morning. In addition to always being reminded of God’s great mercy, I’d be reminded of my sweet friends and kiddos in Romania every single time I saw my wrist.
As I was piecing all of this together, and doodling out the perfect font for my tattoo, another one of my favorite verses continued to stick out to me:
Matthew 10:31:
Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Thus, I added a couple little birds to my design.
As you can see, I did not come to this decision lightly. I knew as I headed over to Romania this past June that I’d come back with a permanent reminder of the mercies of my amazing God and the place He has imprinted so deeply on my heart.
With all the decisions made and the appointment at Roxy Tattoo studio set, the only decision left was where on my wrist to get the tattoo. As I worked with the artist on finalizing the design, I asked him if I should get the tattoo on the side of my wrist or underneath my wrist. His response, in his awesome Romanian accent, was, “On the side. Too many people get it underneath.” Done.
All of that conversation took more time than the actual tattoo itself. It was quick and relatively painless, and I loved it right away.
I didn’t tell anyone. I just let people notice, and I’ve gotten quite a few entertaining reactions, but I figured it was about time to share why I decided to get inked.
I know not everyone agrees with tattoos. I know not everyone likes my tattoo. But, it’s mine, and it’s not going anywhere, so…. There’s not much more to say. :)
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