Color Me Pretty

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I never thought I’d want a tattoo. The idea was there, of course, but I never thought I’d find something I liked. I didn’t want it to be unoriginal, and I wanted it to mean something to me.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a tree. (Yeah, I was a weird kid.) I wanted to be Pocahontas. (Who didn’t?) I wanted to be one with nature. So, it makes perfect sense that I’d want my first tattoo to be a tree. A huge tree. On my back/side/stomach. Um, maybe not? After several people telling me that it would hurt, I’m opting for a smaller tattoo for my first one. I’ll do the tree later. Of course, it still has to have meaning. And that’s when I saw this on tumblr:

I’m completely in love with dandelions. They’re beginning to grow again, and I often make wishes on them.

A number of species of Taraxacum are regarded as seed dispersed weeds or ruderals, especially the Common dandelion (T. officinale), which has been introduced over much of the temperate world as a lawn weed. After pollination and flowering is finished, the dandelion flower dries out for a day or two and then the seed-bearing parachutes expand and lift out of the dried flower head. The dried part of the flower drops off and the parachute ball opens into a full sphere. The parachute drops off when the seed strikes an obstacle. Often dandelions are observed growing in crevices near a wall; when the blowing fruits hit the wall, the feathery pappi comes off, dropping the dandelion seeds to the base of the wall or into a crevice. After the seed is released, the parachutes lose their feathered structure and take on a fuzzy, cotton-like appearance, often called “dandelion snow.” Dandelions seeds are often dispersed by young children, who often blow on or kick the clock.

To me, it symbolizes life … and death. It shows that, though we all die, we live on (through others). Just as one single dandelion does; the seeds of one dandelion float off separately, to create many others. Just like my grandparents left a little piece of themselves with each of their children and grandchildren. The memory lives on.

As my first tattoo, it means a lot to me. As for when it will be done, I still don’t know. I’m hoping on this weekend, though. As for my tree tattoo? I was thinking of going with something like this:

Yeah. Ouch.