As the years go on and generations of kids get wilder, something is becoming much more prevalent, a little more accepted, but still generally frowned upon.
Tattoos. Tattoos. Tattoos. Tattoos.
It always starts with the ever-so-popular question, "What are you going to do when you're old?"
Oh, I'm going to be old and wrinkly (I laid in a lot of tanning beds and spent my college years on an island, I'm going to be extra wrinkly) and I'm going to look badass. I mean I'm either going to be old and gross or old and gross with tattoos. This guy wears it well.
Here's what really gets to me though. It isn't so much the "what about when you're old?" question. It's the, "What about on your wedding day if you wear a backless dress or a strapless dress, or a dress with a slit, or a dress with no sleeves?" Etcetera. Etcetera. Etcetera.
Well, Close-Minded Probably Mildly Religious Personal Preference Of Not Liking Tattoos Who's Opinion Probably Isn't Super Relevant To Me Person (besides my mom), I'm going to wear a wedding dress on my wedding day. I have a lot of ideas about the type of dresses I like.
These are nice.
And they have slits and are backless and missing a couple of sleeves and all the people I love who come to see me get married may be able to see some of my tattoos if I wear a dress like any of these. And I'm still going to get married, and it's still going to be the happiest day of my life, and I'm still going to be surrounded by people I love, and I'm going to have tattoos.
Why does having tattoos have to be so hindering in so many areas of life? We already have to be conscious of potential jobs and future bosses. Maybe it will be so professional an environment, visible tattoos simply won't be permitted. And that's fine. There are still a lot of paying customers on the planet who prefer to be taken care of by someone who looks "clean cut". (I have a lot of opinions on that as well but I'll leave that alone for now and get back to the point). On MY wedding day, why should I be put down by those who don't think I will be beautiful in my dress because my tattoos are showing from all angles?
These girls are GORGEOUS. They are happy. More happy than I can probably imagine since I've never experienced a feeling like knowing I'm about to spend the rest of my life with the person I love most. And they have tattoos.
How can someone look past that smile and think she isn't absolutely beautiful in that white dress?
If you ask me, I think it adds color, art, accents, and flare to the entire ensemble. A porcelain doll with contoured cheeks, a corset tied tight, flowers in her hair, and art covering her arms or back that tells stories only she truly understands.
What's better than a bride with tattoos?
A bride and groom with tattoos.
Two people who understand each other inside, and quite literally, out. A man who can look past the "I was 17 when I got this ugly dolphin on my ankle" and see the love of his life walking down the aisle toward her forever. A woman who can see beyond the "I thought I was in a gang when I was a junior in high school and got 'thug life' on my knuckles in my friend's garage" and see the man of her dreams waiting for her at the alter.
You see? It isn't about the tattoos. It isn't about the white dress or the color of the flowers or anything else aesthetic. It's about being there for someone you love, supporting their decision to enter the next chapter of their life. It's hard to think that far ahead when you see your daughter or son's new tattoo and think (or say) "but what about your wedding day?!"
But I urge you to try.
Try to accept it.
In fact, it's a new year. Why not try to accept anything new? Whether it's people's decision to put ink on their skin or their decision to marry at age 19 or their decision to move to Hawaii or their decision to try to be an astronaut.
As the old saying (somewhat) goes, there is SO MUCH more than meets the eye. Humans are beautiful creatures. Even the ones with full sleeves and nose rings.
Opinions. Opinions. Opinions. Opinions.
There are so many different ones. We are all entitled to our own. All should be considered and valued. But guess what. They all don't have to be agreed upon. It doesn't make anyone a bad person. It doesn't mean he loves his mom any less because he got a tattoo on his arm and she doesn't approve. It doesn't mean she loves her daughter any more because she will be tattoo-free at her wedding, just like she always hoped she would be.
It just means we are all different.
And I plan to be ecstatic on my wedding day. Tattoos and all.
xo, Tatum
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