"Tats for Tots"

Since I was a little girl, I have been obsessed with tattoos. The different colors and designs were so eye catching, and then asking what the story is behind them. That was always my favorite part. Now as an eighteen year old girl, I just got my third one yesterday. A tattoo shop was having a $25.00 deal if you brought a $10.00 toy. The fundraiser was called "Tats for Tots". Me being the tattoo freak I am, I just had to go and get one. My one thing about tattoos is their HAS to be a story behind it and it has to mean something to me personally. I have ideas for so many tattoos that I am getting, but I am waiting to get them done with other family members. Trying to find a tattoo that I wanted and meant something personal to me in the span of three days was so hard. I didn't want to be basic and get something everyone already had. After looking for some time, I came across a lotus flower with a semicolon at the bottom. I looked up the meaning behind the lotus and this is what it said: "Rising Out of Suffering". This really stood out to me. As someone who suffers from severe depression and anxiety, I always feel as if I'm suffering or drowning. I wanted one of my next tattoos to represent these two things and the lotus was perfect. When I noticed the semicolon, I looked up the meaning also. It said "the optional semicolon continues a sentence rather than ending one like an abrupt period.Therefore, each human being is the author that chooses to keep the sentence (life) going on. Many individuals struggling with depression, self-harm and other ailments can embrace the semicolon". I started tearing up reading the whole article. As someone with mental illness, I know I am scared of being stigmatized because of it. It is something I have always struggled with. This tattoo stood out to me and of course I got it done. I am absolutely obsessed with it. I honestly couldn't be happier. Also if you are someone or know someone with mental illness, you are not alone. there are people going through the same thing you are. You are worth so much and never let someone or something make you feel otherwise. You got this. Your story isn't over yet.

#tattoo #depression #mentalillness #stigma #suffering #lotus #semicolon