They Say A Tattoo Is Forever......

A few months after My Marine left for Iraq, I decided to do the one thing that I vowed I would never, ever do.

I got a tattoo.

I gave in to the peer pressure.  I caved.  My friend V has multiple tattoos and called to make an appointment for me with her guy, Russ.  V was going in to have some "touch-up" work done on one of hers and talked me into getting one too. 

Our other friend, L came along - partly to document this moment in history so I could send it to my husband and partly to see me in misery.

But what to get?  I didn't want the typical rose, butterfly, flower tattoo.  If I was going to mark my body for life, I wanted it to mean something.  I also wanted it in a place that wasn't going to sag or stretch too much.  So I decided on the back on my neck.

So, with my husband being deployed in a war zone and the real possibility looming that he might not come home, I wanted something to remember him by.  The ever-talented Russ took my idea and sketched the most awesome tattoo for me.  However, we ran into a problem because for the size I wanted, the detail wouldn't show.  So my little tattoo on my neck soon spanned the spot under my neck, between my shoulders.

So, I ended up with this:

The wings are My Marine's Marine Corps Wings of Gold -- for his status as a Marine Corp aviator.  The AC means Air Crew.  The rose symbolizes my love and devotion - no matter what.  And his name -- well, that's self-explanatory.

I have to admit that having it done wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  The most painful part was the circle because it's right on the spine.  I still laugh, though when I think about getting it done.  When I heard the needle stop at one point, I remember saying, "Oh, that wasn't so bad" and Russ said, "Sweetie, I just finished the outline."   Yeah - there was more to come!

But I did it and I survived and My Marine LOVED it!  He was even more surprised when he saw how big it was.  It was a nice thing for him to come home to and is now a nice conversation piece for me!

What's even more ironic?

My Marine has NO tattoos at all.  The military man, the man who served in a war zone, has not one marking on his body.  And one day, I actually said to him the words that I never, in a million years, would think I'd say to him......

"Honey, let me take you to my tattoo guy!"