My Tattoos and Me

Each and everyone of my tattoos has meaning to me beyond it's beauty. Ya I love the way they look but they mean so much more to me then just a pretty picture. The first tattoo I got was for my loved ones who have past. The saying "always on my mind forever in my heart" means a lot to me. Just because some of my family and friends aren't around in person anymore, doesn't mean they aren't with me. As long as I'm thinking of them, they will live on in my heart.

The second tattoo I got is on my shoulder blade and it says "Resilience". This word has meaning to me because of everything I have struggled with in my life. Whether it was at home, at school or a personal struggle with depression and anxiety. Resilience means, the ability to "bounce back" after difficult situations. Under the word I had an arrow added because of a story that really spoke to me. My friend once told me that life was like an arrow. All the hard times were the arrow being pulled back, and as bad as it got, the arrow could only go back so far before it would spring forward. This tattoos a reminder for me that I can overcome the hard times and that the good times are just around the corner.

The third tattoo I got says "Don't let your fears win". Now this has a very open meaning. To me it means many things like, don't let your fears stop you from trying, living, enjoying yourself, getting out there and most importantly breathing. So many people are afraid of being alone, being made fun of, never being what there parents want them to be, not being what they want themselves to be and they give into those fears. This is a personal reminder for me, to not let my fears stop me from doing anything.

The forth tattoo I got was a cross. The cross isn't a religious symbol to me like it is for many. I like the cross simply because it represents hope. Hope for me, hope for my family and friends, and hope for the community and world.

The fifth tattoo I got says "Can't stop, Won't stop" . For those who know me, you'll get this in a heart beat. I'm always on the move and always have been. At some points in my life I've been playing on 3 different hockey teams, a basketball team, a soccer team and working 2 jobs, while going to school. I don't believe in off days or sleeping in. If i'm not moving or working I'm wasting time. The symbol under the words is a symbol for unity. Another things my friends would get. If your my friend, your my friend for life and there isn't a thing I wouldn't do for you. I'm big into supporting friends and family and I'm always available for those who need me.

The sixth tattoo I got is a wolf formed out of tree branches. The wolf is my favorite animal by a long shot, there is just something so majestic and beautiful about these creatures. They are also the aboriginal symbol for courage. I discovered this in 3rd grade when we took a trip to an aboriginal village and they placed us in clans based on a series of tests (It was unbelievably cool and I've been obsessed ever since). The wolf is made out of tree branches because my last name Dubois means forest in french. I wanted to incorporate a part of me into my favorite thing.

The last tattoo I got was on my foot and it is a world map inside a compass. Around the compass it says, die with memories, not dreams. Travelling the world has always been a dream of mine and I would really like to die with memories of all the places in the world I've been, instead of dreams of what they would have been like. The first place on my list is California and then Norway (Norway has an animal sanctuary where you get to ACTUALLY play with wolves...soo ya).