For you mom

At sixteen years old, I begged my father for my very first tattoo. I wanted to pick something so special and very sentimental to me. I thought about it long and hard, but I knew I wanted something about my dear mother that past away when I was only nine years old.

You see, it was a horrible ambulance accident that took her life on this earth, and me being only nine I couldn't understand what or why it happened. As I got older, I began to understand things a littler better. I knew I always wanted to cherish the memories I had with her.

On my sixteenth birthday, I asked my father for a tattoo. He automatically said no, he was a preacher and didn't believe in markings on the body as they called it. I thought long and hard. What is something I want on my body for the rest of my life?

Then I knew right away I wanted something of my mother, but what it was I didn't know just yet. I didn't want to just look up something from the internet. I wanted it to be from my heart. Something that speaks a story from one piece of art.

I thought to myself, what is something mom loved? After thinking of many things she loved and enjoyed, I got it! She loved yellow roses. Yellow was her favorite color, and roses was her favorite flower but in yellow of course. A simple yellow rose told a whole story to me. Always reminding me that mom is still with me.

So I explained to my father that I knew what and where I wanted my very first tattoo. He then understood that this piece of art meant the world to me, and guess what? He agreed to it! I went to the tattoo shop to get my very first tattoo, scared and nervous. After my father signed the papers, it was time to get inked.

I told the artist exactly what I wanted and he began to draw. I told him the story behind the rose and he knew this had to be perfect for me. A yellow rose with a ribbon going through it, with the word mom. So my ink showed the story behind it without me speaking a word.

I was so scared that it would hurt. He cleaned the back of my shoulder off, telling me its going to be fine. Then he placed the paper on my back so he can trace it with the ink. "Are you ready"?, He asked. I nodded my head yes.

The artist then started, and all my nervousness turned to excitement. I had tears in my eyes not from pain, but the reason behind the ink. I knew mom would love what I chose. Not only did I have her in my heart, but a little piece of her reminding me never give up.

After an hour or so flew by, it was time for me to see it. I cried, the tattoo turned out so beautiful. I couldn't thank the artist enough for doing such an amazing job.

I couldn't wait to show all my friends and family of such a beautiful memory of my mother. Still to this day, if I am having a bad day I look at this tattoo in the mirror and smile. I know she wouldn't want her baby girl to be upset. It's the best tattoo I could have gotten in her memory.

Now that I have children of my own, they ask about mamaw Jeannie all the time, but they will forever remember she loved yellow roses.