There's something I've worried about for years that I'm just realizing I've been wasting energy on.
My tattoos.
Being a tattooed mother.
Being judged in public with my child.
But guess what?
I haven't experienced it yet.
I got my first tattoo at age 18. It was hidden on my back below my waistline so I knew my parents wouldn't see it. I've never been very good at hiding things from my mom though, this wave of guilt always washes over me leaving me sweaty and nauseous. The next morning I took her aside and softly said,
"I have to show you something."
I pulled up my shirt and revealed the inch long waves that formed the symbol of my zodiac sign. She was disappointed but glad I told her. My next tattoo went the same way. Got it on a whim, only revealed it later.
I've wizened up though. I tell my parents of my upcoming ink and they're fine with them. In fact, my dad has been known to brag about how pretty they are. The only person in my family that I have a hard time sharing my tattoos with is my maternal grandma. She lamented for years about how I would look in a wedding dress. (I looked gorgeous, btw.) A month after our wedding I got a new tattoo and my grandma still hadn't seen it up until this past weekend. I was feeling brave so I wore a short sleeved shirt and the bottom of the tattoo peeked out of the bottom. It didn't go horribly but suffice it to say, she's not a fan.
I guess because I've been judged before due to my tattoos I assumed that it would only be worse now that I have a child. In all honesty, I haven't noticed a thing. I haven't caught any side eyed looks, any hushed whispering as I walk by or raised eyebrows.
Here's my guess though - I'm too busy raising a child to notice judgement being passed. I no longer have the time or energy to care about what a stranger thinks about my body. My daughter is my main priority. She's the only thing that focuses and drives me.
Or maybe people are stunned by my daughter's beauty to notice my tattoos. Probably that.
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| Photo by the amazing Rebecca Dever. Also, no makeup. And minus one tattoo. |
Tattoos are much more commonplace these days. In fact, of all the moms I know, all of them have at least one. Yours may be a little more visible, but I don't think most people are going to judge you for them. And if they do, screw them! :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I should be clear ... all of the newer moms I know have at least one. Not ALL of the moms I know. My own mom is un-inked. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, you'd think with our generation having tattoos that it would be less of a big deal but I still get comments quite often! It's usually about my chest and how I could have done such a thing to myself. I try to laugh it off and like I said, I haven't heard a peep since I had June!
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