8 tear-jerking tattoos that represent a life-changing event
Tattoos can symbolize many things, be it simply an aesthetic love of body art or to immortalize a life-changing event. Getting inked may not remove extreme emotional pain, but it's often a cathartic way to remember lost ones and pay tribute to the people we love the most.
Here are 8 tattoos that represent a life-changing event and their designs express emotions far better than words will ever do.
1. Remember a child who you'll never again be able to hold in your arms
The loss of a child is painful beyond words and changes us for life. Whether we miscarry, lose our baby at birth or later in life, the sorrow pierces our heart and the scars run deep.
This mother lost her baby, Nathan, when he was only one month old. The shock was devastating, but she decided that one way to deal with her grief was to get this incredibly touching tattoo. As she said, "In honor of Nathan’s one month from his birth, I got this! I absolutely love that I will always have a little part of him with me; his tiny footprints".
2. Show your child that you will always be by their side
Gabriel is a brave little guy who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. His dad, Josh Marshall, was understandably devastated when he heard the news, but also felt completely powerless when it came to dealing with his boy's terrible illness.
After his operation, Gabriel was left with a huge scar on his head, which gave his dad a brilliant idea. To show his son how much he loves him and to reassure him that he'll always be by his side, he had a tattoo of his son's scar inked on his head.
3. To show a child that they're uniquely wonderful
Honey-Rae was born with a large, red birthmark on her leg: it ran from her toe to her hip. Her parents, Tanya et Adam Phillips knew that this would make their little girl feel self-conscious as she grew up - particularly in a world where people are so bent on physical perfection. To show Honey-Rae that she's not alone and that she's just as beautiful as any other little girl, they both decided to get large birthmarks tattooed on their legs.
4. An ode to a lost child
This dad's baby died from sudden death syndrome. This sudden loss tore both parents apart, who subsequently suffered feelings of intense grief and guilt. The baby's father decided to pay tribute to his little one by having a sound wave of his son's laugh tattooed onto his chest.
5. Help a child to beat the bullies!
This girl has worn a hearing aid since birth. When she started school she was ruthlessly teased by her classmates, who mocked her for needing to wear a hearing aid. Wanting to support his child, her father got an exact copy of her hearing aid tattooed on his head, so that she'd feel less alone and be able to tell people that she looks like her dad!
6. Forever wear your mother's last words
Losing a parent is terrible and if we're young our memories of our beloved mom or dad fade with time. Just before she died, Taylor Smith's mom left a little note for her daughter. So that she would never forget her mother's love and wishes, Taylor decided to get the message tattooed onto her arm.
7. It's a dog's life!
Jackie Adamski loves her dog Skunky to bits! Like most pets, he's a loving and loyal companion, so she decided to get his paw print inked onto her arm. It took 200 attempts to get Skunky to leave a 'workable' print and the result is amazing!
8. Honor your children's roots
© Depositphotos.com © Depositphotos.com
Like a lot of celebrities, Angelina Jolie has numerous tattoos, but the one on her shoulder tells a very personal story. The original tattoo was her then-husband's name - Billy Bob Thornton, to whom she was married for three years. She later had it lasered off and replaced it with a tattoo that honors her children. Rather than having their names tattooed, she opted for the geographical coordinates where each child was born. Angelina has 3 adopted children (Maddox from Cambodia, Zahara Marley from Ethiopia and Pax Thien from Vietnam) and gave birth to three when she was with Brad Pitt (Shiloh Nouvel born in Namibia and her twins, Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline born in Nice, France).
A lot of people think that tattoos are just frivolous works of art, but as these stories prove, their meaning is often much more than skin deep. What about you? Do you have tattoo that symbolizes an important moment in your life that you'd like to share with us?
By Straker Julia
Writer
Passionate about writing, I write articles on the subjects that I love. Creativity and Animals themes are my favorites!
