The Second Tattoo - and the Beginning of True Meaning

I'll be honest, my first tattoo was completely impulsive and done without too much thought, which I know I eluded to in my first post, but the lack of thought behind it was simply ridiculous.  I was in such a hurry to get a tattoo that my first one was a horrid mistake (it has since been covered up, but more on that later).  So, this second tattoo is where I really started to do it right.  There's quite the emotional, and deep story behind this second one.  It isn't my most impressive tattoo, but it will likely always be the one that means the most to me.

April 26, 2009 - Iron Brush Tattoo and Body Piercing (Lincoln, NE)
https://www.facebook.com/ironbrushtattoo

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• Location: Upper Back

• Tattoo: Angel wings, Roses, "Mom - 1970 - 2005" lettering

• Story: As I said, I put a lot more thought into this tattoo and had one of my best childhood friends draw up the tattoo for me. I wanted this one to be unique and meaningful (as tattoos should be). Each part of the tattoo was chosen very carefully.  I just so happened to have gotten my love for tattoos from my mom, and she committed suicide when I was 15. I knew I had to honor her memory by getting a beautiful tattoo.  The angel wings were chosen to signify her everlasting freedom, no matter where she may be. The roses were chosen because they had always been her favorite flower.  

 There were a lot of mistakes with my first tattoo including the tattoo artist. Fortunately, I managed to find myself in a reputable tattoo shop with a very good artist for this tattoo. He spent 3 hours drawing a stencil (drawing, not tracing) the drawing my friend had created for me. He informed me that he was doing this, because while the drawing was very good, it wasn't a "tattoo" drawing. He maintained the original idea while making it more appropriate for a tattoo.  This tattoo overall took about 3 hours to ink. This is where I truly fell in love with tattoos. I fancied the whole process: choosing a tattoo, meeting with the artist, picking a location for the tattoo, how it felt and the experience as a whole.  I knew I would be getting more in the near future.

*This is also where I learned the importance of the healing process and choosing the right products*