My Story

This is my second tattoo. It is an original, all mine, design. I went into Mr. Adam's Tattoo's with my design and told them where I wanted it, they tweaked some areas that needed to be and I let her have free reign on the colors that she used on within it, I have her a few colors that I like and she went from there.

The lotus flower has many meanings behind it, but the one that caught my eye and also had a personal connection to me. The meaning that I found was remarkable and I could not find a flower to better represent me and my life:

"The lotus flower starts as a small flower down at the bottom of a pond in the mud and muck. It slowly grows up towards the waters surface continually moving towards the light. Once it come to the surface of the water the lotus flower begins to blossom and turn into a beautiful flower...Lotus flower tattoos are also popular for people who have gone through a hard time and are now coming out of it. Like the flower they have been at the bottom in the muddy, yucky dirty bottom of the pond but have risen above this to display an object of beauty or a life of beauty as the case might be. Thus a lotus flower tattoo or blossom can also represent a hard time in life that has been overcome."

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Meaning-and-Symbolism-Behind-the-Lotus-Flower-Tattoo&id=95396

The nautical star also had a close personal connection to my life, most of my family are fisherman and I have a love for the ocean that goes way beyond it's essense and smell. Also my brother was in Navy. I also found a meaning behind the nautical star that connected to me and my family:
"Early on sailors navigated by the stars at night and the north star became the symbol for finding ones way home. Once you know where the north star is you can point your ship in the right direction to get home. So the star became a symbol for finding ones way home or more symbolically even finding ones path in life."
http://ezinearticles.com/?Nautical-Star-Tattoos-The-History,-Meaning-And-Symbolism---What-A-Strange-Mix!&id=67116

Overall the tattoo turned out just how I had envisioned it and knowing the meaning behind it, knowing my story...I decided to put it in a place where I could wear it and hold it strong, on my back.