My Lotus Flower Tattoo

Due to the milestones of my bipolar mental illness, my 30th birthday celebration was very emotional for me.  To be able to see 30 years old when I had so many days that I could not even see the next day or minute or second in front of me was a feat beyond my most precious dreams. 


My brain is not equipped properly to handle life as healthy people do and therefore the prospect of self harm and/or directly relating to suicide is very real for me.  With the mentality of "Stacy You Matter", my medications, my doctors, my counselors, my husband, my precious family, and a few select dear friends, unsafe segments of my life have become futures of celebration. 

For my 30th birthday, I got my second tattoo.  With the help of amazing drawings and assistance in my vision from my husband, my incredible tattoo artist and I co-created a simple yet beautiful masterpiece.  My tattoo is on my right ankle and I wanted to share the meaning with all of you. 

My tattoo represents 3 main topics:

1.  Perseverance 

The focal point of the tattoo- the center of the flower- is a semicolon..."A semicolon is used when an author could've chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to.  The author is you and the sentence is your life."- Project Semicolon

2.  Love

Two of the flower petals come together at the very center top of the flower to look like a heart.

The two bottom peddles on the left and two bottom peddles on the right together look like a butterfly.  To me a butterfly represents change in consciousness and therefore a new beginning. 

3.  Grace

The lotus flower.  The beautiful tattoo as a whole is a tribal style lotus flower.  This represents the grace I have chosen to bestow upon myself over the times of turmoil which in turn has helped me take baby steps towards my prolonged future.  And secondly, since the day we found out we were pregnant, I have and will continue to offer my daughter grace- even in trying times when I have no other way of sharing my love for her. 

Finally, it was recently brought to my attention by my lovely counselor that the stem of my flower presents the image of an anchor.  Immediately I responded with, "through it all, the Lord is the anchor in my life". 

Love Note:  With all my heart, I genuinely request that due to the content written, please seek the guidance of professional help should you feel you need it.