It Feels Right

Mercy me! I'm a grandmother – and here I am standing smack-dab in the middle of a tattoo parlor! Her restless eyes darted to and fro, taking note of the establishment – especially whether conditions were sanitary. She did not approve of tattoos! Her ranting and raving had been a true showstopper, yet there she stood with her 18-year-old grandson at her side.

It was high school graduation weekend and the grandparents had looked forward to celebrating with their only grandson, Kyle. They are pretty much shockproof when it comes to teenagers, but the mention of a tattoo had blindsided them both.

"I want you both to know I've given serious thought to this for a long time, and I've found a tattoo salon that is safe. They use only new needles. It's really important to me," Kyle pled his case, hoping for some semblance of understanding. Discussing it with his father had only brought silence. Thus, he turned to his grandparents as he had so many times during the past few years.

*   *   *   *   *

In November of Kyle's first year of high school, he suddenly lost his mother. She kissed him goodbye as he left for school one morning, and upon returning home that afternoon he learned of her unexpected death just hours before. In the midst of normal teenage angst, the most grueling challenge of his life was thrown into the mix.

His father began dating rather soon, leaving Kyle to deal with his grief alone. Things went from bad to worse, as did his grades, and the father/son relationship suffered. Counseling eventually smoothed some of the messes in Kyle's life, but soon he had a stepmother in the house. Learning to live as a blended family led to even more turmoil. Kyle was a bit older and began acting out in more serious ways. A few encounters with alcohol took away his pain temporarily and he told his grandparents it was the only time he could "let go" and cry for his mother.

More counseling ensued, some one-on-one, and some as a family unit. Improvement was made, but Kyle was still yearning for the life he had known prior to his mother's death. Acceptance did not come easily and possibly will never come completely.

*   *   *   *   *

"Grandma, this is the tattoo I want. What do you think?"

The grandmother had envisioned everything imaginable, and none of it was good. Wringing her hands, she approached Kyle, all the while knowing it would take a miracle to change his mind. She'd been yammering at him all day to no avail. What magical words could sway him? Why won't they come to me? "Why is he so darned tenacious about this?" she whispered to herself.

Kyle pointed, she looked down at the illustration, and her heart stopped. With unbelieving eyes she viewed a beautiful cross that was adorned with one red rose, and entwined with ribbon. The inscription read: In Memory of Mom.

Kyle spoke, "I want it on my shoulder blade. It will never show unless I'm swimming with friends or something. Besides, it's not something I want to show the whole world – it's kind of private to me."

Tears stung his grandmother's eyes and her resolve began to soften. How could it not? Kyle's mother had been her only child – she had been through hell too. This young man didn't want any of the strange images she had conjured up in her mind. He was honoring his mother by making a permanent statement about her importance in his life.

In due time the procedure was completed, but not without Grandma and the tattoo artist reiterating how to take care of the wounded area until it completely healed.

"Well, kid! We'll soon know if your mother approves of what just took place." Grandma was trying to lighten the mood with a little humor now that there was no turning back.

Kyle looked confused. "Whatcha mean?"

"When we stick our heads out the door we may be struck by lightening!" Grandma winked.

Looking mischievously at one another, they gently pushed open the salon door and slowly stepped outside to be greeted with sunshine, blue skies, and drifting white clouds.

"Whew! I guess Mom isn't as mad as you are, Grandma…."

"Well, young man, I still don't approve of tattoos and I'm going to nag about its care until it's completely healed. You don't want any complications!" Grandma's brow was furrowed.

"I know, I know. But, Grandma – even though everyone thinks it's wrong – it feels right to me. I loved my mom so much…"

Discuss This Article

Have something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article.

Find a Job

Choose your career:

MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 18,201 jobs with 2,536 hospitals and other direct employers.

We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now.