A Permanent Memory

My mother has always hated tattoos, and when I got a couple of small ones that are easily covered, she would give me issues about who would want me, who’s going to hire me, etc. I brushed it off as a tattoo on my ankle or shoulder of something that made me happy, wasn’t hurting anyone, including her.

She has always loved dragonflies; if there was a cute dish towel, jewelry, or soap dish, she either bought it herself or was given one as a gift. She married my step-dad when I was in my 20’s, after she had been divorced from my dad for over a decade. I had zero issues with step-dad as he always treated me with respect, but I could never figure out how he won my mom over, as he was covered in tattoos. I mean, he would wear a long-sleeve shirt and jeans, and no one would know, but he was always in T-shirts and shorts, so he never tried to hide them.

Around this time, my mom stopped giving me issues as she didn’t think they were so horrible anymore. So that was a win in my book.

My step-dad was into alligators as much as my mom was into dragonflies, so one time when I was out thrifting, I saw a cute porcelain gator that had a dragonfly on its head. I thought it would make a cute Christmas gift, and I was right; she loved it. Step-dad said it was “cute”. I thought I did well and went about my life, never thinking about it again.

Six months later, my mom called me to say I needed to come over and see what she got. She wouldn’t even give me a hint, so I drove to her house, which was only fifteen minutes away, so not an inconvenience. When I got there, she rushed me into the house and turned around. She got a Tattoo!

So, it seems that on the way to the grocery store, she noticed she passed a tattoo shop every time and decided to stop in and get one. So, she was like… bread… milk… tattoo…?

The tattoo was a replica of the porcelain gator and dragonfly I had given them, and she was so happy and proud of herself. I did give her some issues about who’s going to want her and how she’s ever going to get a job now, which she found funny.

She passed away a few years ago, so I inherited the gator/dragonfly. On the first anniversary of her passing, I got a duplicate tattoo in the same spot so I could always have her with me and have a private laugh on the way to the grocery store when I pass the tattoo shop.