Tattoos

I've decided to get another tattoo :-) I'm getting the fleur de lis but not because the saints won the superbowl (amazing) but because all of my tattoos are symbolic of important people, moments, and places in my life. I don't get them because I think they're "pretty" or "cool". I get them because I like them and I like having those constant reminders or memories as part of me physically. I will never have a butterfly or japanese character tattooed on me. No. Never. Ever. There is one tattoo that I have which is my least favorite. I would like to get it redone somwhere else. Coincidentally, this one tattoo also is the most sentimental out of all of them. I hate that it's the one I like the least. Another thing with my tattoos is that I like the creative side of them. I don't like tattoos that look like the real thing. So the fleur de lis that I'm getting is not your average run of the mill fleur de lis. It's got a funky flair to it.

And back to the question of why. What significance does the fleur de lis have? I've come to the realization that I will probably never live in Louisiana again. Baton Rouge will always be my home and parts of Louisiana have captured my heart and I love that it has had that affect on me. The Atchafalaya River Basin at sunset will always be an amazing sight. However, I have learned that you do not have to be "home". "Home" is something that you can carry with you tucked away in the corners of your heart brought to surface by visual reminders. This is the case for me when I look at the night sky. My mother and I were terrible at finding constellations but could always find Orion's Belt. When I moved away almost five years ago, Orion's Belt provided a sense of comfort to me as I remembered all those times my mom and I stood outside trying to find the Big Dipper or the Little Dipper or anything beside Orion's Belt. So of course it made perfect sense when I chose to get a tattoo of Orion's Belt. It might as well have said MOM in a big red heart but like I said, I like the creativity aspect. These reminders of whole have come to surface this past football season as everytime I see a fleur de lis, I am transported back to Louisiana and all the fond memories that I have of my home.