Lost time and my first tattoo
I had always wanted a tattoo but just couldn’t put my finger on what. For me, a tattoo needed to be something meaningful and represent me, my family, or just be something I connected with. I searched for years for the perfect tattoo.
In that time, I became a mother twice. It was after my second child was born that I suddenly and unexpectedly lost my dad. He had moved to another state when I was pregnant with my first child, and we lost touch. His death impacted me harder than I ever thought it would—but it also inspired me too. It helped me start painting more, and in a more meaningful way.
I took this time to also start designing my very first tattoo, without even knowing if I would ever get it. I showed my husband the sketch I made, explaining to him each element I put into it: the broken clock in the center to represent time lost, the flowers as his birth month flower, the feathers to represent part of our ancestry. In my sketch, I had one more element that didn’t make it into the final tattoo design—a Mayan calendar to represent another part of my dad’s ancestry.
Putting all these pieces together and planning where I wanted it felt so easy. Finally, my husband and I saved up some money, and I was able to get my first tattoo. I met with an artist (who was not with Silver Key) and told him the story behind each element I sketched. I asked him to help me make it the perfect first tattoo. He took the time to refine the design to fit the area I wanted, making sure it worked without losing the meaning behind it.