this is on the inside of my right forearm. the artist is chris vieau at fallen angel tattoo in lafayette, indiana. i’ve struggled a lot with this tattoo, with explaining what it means and dealing with reactions from others. i’m a young, petite female with blonde hair, so many people think this tattoo is “inappropriate” for me. when asked what it means, i simply say, “it means nothing. i just liked the design,” when in fact that is not true. this tattoo stands for pain. it’s always in my face, reminding me not to hide my pain or attempt to gloss it over. if i would’ve gotten something pretty, it wouldn’t be the same. there was a time in my life where a series of events caused me to lose my childhood and my innocence, and this represents that time for me. but it also means that i made it, i’m still here, and i can get through anything.

this is on the inside of my right forearm. the artist is chris vieau at fallen angel tattoo in lafayette, indiana.

i’ve struggled a lot with this tattoo, with explaining what it means and dealing with reactions from others. i’m a young, petite female with blonde hair, so many people think this tattoo is “inappropriate” for me. when asked what it means, i simply say, “it means nothing. i just liked the design,” when in fact that is not true. this tattoo stands for pain. it’s always in my face, reminding me not to hide my pain or attempt to gloss it over. if i would’ve gotten something pretty, it wouldn’t be the same. there was a time in my life where a series of events caused me to lose my childhood and my innocence, and this represents that time for me. but it also means that i made it, i’m still here, and i can get through anything.